A French man is now recovering in a Paris hospital after becoming the first person in the world to undergo two face transplants.
Jérôme Hamon, who has a condition that causes disfiguring tumors, received his first face transplant in 2010. However, his body eventually rejected the transplanted tissue, forcing surgeons to remove it.
Three months ago, Hamon underwent a second, unprecedented transplant performed by the same plastic surgeon, Professor Laurent Lantieri, who had carried out his first procedure. His new face is still in the early stages of recovery—smooth and motionless—as the alignment of skin, features, and skull will gradually improve with the help of immunosuppressive drugs designed to prevent rejection.
“I feel very well in myself,” said Hamon, 43. “I can’t wait to get rid of all this,” referring to the temporary post-surgery effects.
Hamon suffers from neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic disorder that causes severe facial disfigurement and related complications. While his first transplant initially succeeded, a routine antibiotic he took to treat a cold interfered with his immunosuppressive treatment. By 2016, signs of rejection emerged, and his transplanted face began to fail, leaving him without a functioning face for two months.
During this time, Hamon had no eyelids, no ears, and no skin; he could not speak, eat normally, or hear clearly. The surgical team called his condition “the walking dead.”
A compatible donor eventually became available, and in January, Hamon underwent his second face transplant. Doctors first replaced all his blood over a month-long procedure to remove potentially harmful antibodies from prior treatments.
Hamon’s new face comes from a 22-year-old donor, prompting him to jokingly say on French television, “I’m 43, the donor was 22. So I’ve become 20 years younger.” Despite the immense challenges, Hamon says he is happy and embracing his new identity: “If I hadn’t accepted this new face it would have been terrible. It’s a question of identity… But here we are, it’s good, it’s me.”
