Three hospitals get licences, but the surgery that could offer hope to acid attack survivors and burn victims is facing several roadblocks
In the 1997 thriller Face/Off, John Travolta and Nicolas Cage took face-swapping to a cinematic extreme, blurring the lines of identity. Fast forward to today, and the world has been witnessing a real-world encore — facial transplants.
But unlike the Hollywood spectacle, this medical marvel isn’t about espionage but a shot at a new life itself. Since the world’s first partial face transplant was performed on a Frenchwoman in 2005, 46 face transplants — both partial and near total — have been conducted (up to August 2020) in 11 countries.
But unlike the Hollywood spectacle, this medical marvel isn’t about espionage but a shot at a new life itself. Since the world’s first partial face transplant was performed on a Frenchwoman in 2005, 46 face transplants — both partial and near total — have been conducted (up to August 2020) in 11 countries.