World's first face transplant recipient dies in France
French woman Isabelle Dinoire, the world's first recipient of a face transplant, has died in April 2016 aged 49, according to a French hospital. She reportedly died after a long illness; the exact cause of death wasn't revealed. A French newspaper said the drugs that would prevent her body from rejecting the face transplant made her susceptible to cancer; two cancers had developed.
Who was Isabelle Dinoire?
Isabelle Dinoire, a French woman, made medical history in 2005 by becoming the first person in the world to undergo a face transplant. At the age of 38, she underwent a 15-hour long operation on 27 November 2005 at a hospital in Amiens, France. She had received a triangular partial face transplant of a brain-dead donor's nose, lips and chin.
Attempt to commit suicide
Isabelle Dinoire had to receive a transplant to replace parts of her face after her pet Labrador Tanya mauled her in May 2005. The dog was reportedly trying to wake Dinoire who was in a deep slumber from an overdose of sleeping pills after a suicide attempt. She admitted her suicidal feelings in her memoir; the dog, however, had been euthanized.
The first face transplant on a living human
Professor Bernard Devauchelle was assisted by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard to perform the first face transplant on a living human at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Nord in Amiens. A triangular facial tissue comprising the nose, mouth, and chin was taken and grafted onto Dinoire. Prior to this surgery, only ear and scalp transplants were performed. Dinoire was given bone marrow cells to prevent tissue rejection.
Able to resume a normal life
Though Dinoire faced trouble with getting used to the face transplant after the ground-breaking surgery, she was able to resume a normal life. She was happy that the surgery gave her a face, like everyone. Though she spoke with a lisp, her speech improved; she could eat and talk. Initially, she had no sensation of the lips; later, the sensation returned partially.
Kidney failure and tissue rejection
In 2007, Dinoire's doctors published an article on her kidney failure and tissue rejection episodes that were suppressed by drugs. Doctors said if she stopped taking medicines, it would be a disaster as her new face could slough off over time.
Dinoire's body rejected the face transplant
The hospital in North France's Amiens confirmed the death and stated Dinoire's death on 22 Apr'16 was kept secret to protect the privacy of her family. The French woman reportedly died surrounded by her family. According to media reports, Dinoire's body rejected the triangular-shaped partial face transplant last year. She had also lost "part of the use of her lips."
36 people around the world received face transplants
The Amiens hospital stated since the ground-breaking medical achievement in 2005, 36 people around the world received face transplants; six of them have died. The first face transplant to graft functioning eyelids and a scalp took place in New York in 2015.
