A Polish woman who was disfigured by a huge facial tumour has revealed how her face looks now.
The woman, identified only as Joanna, underwent Poland’s second ever facial transplant after neurofibromatosis – a genetic condition causing benign tumours – left her unable to chew, talk or swallow.
She has appeared at a press conference almost three years after the transplant, looking remarkably well with only some scarring to her forehead and neck.
Dr Adam Maciejewski, who performed both Joanna’s surgery as well as the only other facial transplant in Poland, spent 23-hours on the complex transplant.
It involved a transplant of 80 per cent of the skin on her face, giving her the ability to chew, talk or swallow.
Joanna was severely deformed by neurofibromatosis – a genetic condition that causes benign tumours to grow along the nerves.
The condition can also cause bone problems, pressure on the spinal nerves, severe pain, learning disabilities and vision and hearing problems. There is no cure for it.
Although many people who have the condition inherit it from one of their parents, up to 50 per cent develop it randomly from a gene mutation before they are born.
Despite their alarming appearance, the growths and swellings – called neurofibromas and caused by a growth of cells – are not cancerous or contagious.
The facial tumour will not recur because the skin on her new face is from different genes, genetics expert Dr Anand Saggar previously told the UK MailOnline.
Dr Maciejewski and his colleagues performed Poland’s first face transplant on a man whose face was torn off by a stone mason’s machine. His recovery is said to be progressing.
The man’s operation took 27 hours and was carried out just weeks after his accident.
It was thought to be the first face transplant to be carried out so soon after the damage had occurred – previous transplants have taken months, or even years, to prepare.
The man had to have his jaw, palate and eye sockets reconstructed.
The world’s first full-face transplant was carried out on a Spanish farmer in March 2010.
Oscar had blown most of his face off with a gun during a hunting accident and was left unable to breathe, swallow or talk properly.