Face translplant is the first to include the tongue and jaw

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Doctor Pedro Cavadas, who made the first face transplant in Spain, gave a press conference after the groundbreaking and complex operation that took place last Tuesday at the La Fe Hospital in Valencia.

Unfortunately, it seems that the privacy of the donor has been violated and the doctor feels that this is sacrosanct.  The National Transplant Organization said that the disclosure of data to identify the donor is expressly prohibited by law. However, the Data Protection Agency has stated that the deceased "are excluded" from the Data Protection Act.  The surgeon stated that he did not know who to blame, but giving away such information helps no one and harms the family who has lost a loved one.  Both the Ministry of Health Ministry of the Valencian branch reported that the donor was a man of 35 years died in traffic accidents.

After the above statement Dr. Cavadas then went on to explain that his patient had lost all the bottom of his face (upper lip, tongue, jaw), had received the face transplant and is evolving very, very well.  He added that they had to be cautious and wait, although he felt that progress will likely be good, rather than not so good.

This is the first time in the world that a face transplant has been performed with the tongue and jaw. The patient came to need this operation after suffering complications in his radiotherapy which was caused by a malignant disease of eleven years.

Cavadas believed that the patient can return to normal and recover his sense of taste in a few months, and if all goes well, will be discharged in a week or ten days. The patient has seen himself in the mirror and is happy, because once again he has the face of a human being, the surgeon explained.

The operation performed at the hospital La Fe is the first of its kind in Spain, but two other patients are awaiting a transplant, one at the Virgen del Rocío in Seville and the other at Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona.

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