Cleveland Medical Team Completes Incredible Face-Transplant Surgery

A diverse group of surgeons, doctors and other medical professionals at Cleveland Clinic have completed a never-before-seen “80 percent facial transplant” on a female patient that suffered serious trauma.

Although no personal information has been released about the patient, The Wall Street Journal reports that the operation was the “most complex face transplant in the world.”  Many structural and functional components of the patient’s face were restored.  Surgeons precisely integrated facial structures like the lower eyelids and nose, while restoring different complex tissues like nerves and veins.

The process was largely made possible by team leader Maria Siemionow, who has spent a great part of her career researching and developing such procedures. Siemmionow was able to lead a group of professionals from a variety of disciplines, including bioethics, anesthesia, transplant, dentistry and more.

Dr. Siemionow has a profound connection between her work and her motivation to help injured patients. She states,”patients with facial disfigurement have very difficult challenges in society. We hope that one day we may be able to help the tens of thousands of patients who are quietly suffering.”