- Joanna, 26, struggled to chew, swallow or talk before the operation
- It took 23 hours and involved replacing 80% of the skin on her face
- She was deformed by eurofibromatosis – a genetic condition that causes tumours to grow along the nerves
- The facial tumour will not recur because the skin on her new face is from different genes
By
Emma Innes
08:03 EST, 12 December 2013
|
11:45 EST, 12 December 2013
A 26-year-old Polish woman disfigured by a huge tumour has received a new face.
The woman, identified only as Joanna, was given the new face during the country’s second face transplant.
Prior to the operation, she struggled to chew, swallow or talk.
A 26-year-old Polish woman, named only as Joanna, has received a new face after she was disfigured by a huge facial tumour (pictured)
Joanna had 23-hours of surgery to give her a new face. During the operation, 80 per cent of the skin on her face was replaced
Dr Adam Maciejewski, who led the 23-hour surgery last week, said he hopes the transplant of 80 per cent of the skin on her face will give her back those functions.
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.
Joanna (pictured during surgery last week) was severely deformed by neurofibromatosis – a genetic condition that causes benign tumours to grow along the nerves
Joanna is currently in serious but
stable condition after the operation at the Cancer Centre and Institute
of Oncology in Gliwice, Poland.
The facial tumour will not recur because the skin on her new face is from different genes, genetics expert Dr Anand Saggar told MailOnline.Â
In May, 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.
Before the operation, Joanna struggled to chew, swallow or speak. It is hoped that when she recovers from the surgery she will be able to do these things again
Joanna is currently in serious but stable condition after the operation at the Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology in Gliwice, Poland. Image shows her parents at a press conference
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.
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The comments below have been moderated in advance.
Dave,
Plymouth, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
Fantastic. Hope she has a great life
Vickymeldrew,
Coulsdon, United Kingdom,
2 hours ago
Best of luck Joanna. Hope you will soon be able to live a more normal life.
arram,
westcliff on sea, United Kingdom,
2 hours ago
absolutely fantastic….a tremendous achievment…..well done…
kiboko,
Hanover,
2 hours ago
Poor, poor girl. Let us hope for 100%, success, recovery and a wonderful life.
nicole25,
Charlotte, United States,
2 hours ago
I wish her the best, and I hope the operation is a success.
Pete,
Stafford,
2 hours ago
Get well soon.
AmyFox1992,
Ipswich, United Kingdom,
2 hours ago
Wow! God bless surgeons of the world, they really are incredible people.
ray,
rayleigh,
2 hours ago
David Cameron should donate one of his TWO FACES…..as should most of the Government., they all all two faced.
kate,
paris, France,
2 hours ago
That’s amazing. I hope she is able to learn to do what the rest of us talk for granted – swallow, talk etc – and that life with her new face is a blessed one.
countrybumpkin,
Gilberdyke, United Kingdom,
2 hours ago
Wow, good luck to her
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