A woman known only as Carmen has undergone a complex face transplant surgery after a bacterial infection from an insect bite left her severely disfigured. The procedure took place at Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, with the face donated by a woman who had requested euthanasia.
Carmen developed sepsis and necrosis after being bitten by a mosquito while on holiday in the Canary Islands. 'The bacteria made me want to disappear from this world,' she said. 'Necrosis had eaten away half my face. I couldn't eat, half my nose was missing, and I couldn't breathe properly.'
The transplant, performed last year, involved a team of 100 professionals. Dr Joan-Pere Barret, head of plastic surgery and burns, noted that the donor's request for euthanasia allowed for careful planning using 3D software, which is typically impossible in such surgeries. 'We were able to plan the best options for reconstructing and adapting the bone structures,' he said.
Dr Barret emphasised the complexity of the procedure, stating that a face transplant must provide function and sensitivity, not just appearance. 'A face transplant that cannot feel or move is nothing more than a mask,' he added.
Carmen is now undergoing physiotherapy and hopes to be 'completely well' within a year. She has regained the ability to eat, talk, and drink coffee, and said she has 'regained a quality of life' she never imagined possible. Under Spanish law, she did not meet her donor.
