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Source: ONE News
A Spanish man who underwent the world's first full-face transplant has revealed his face to the world for the first time.
Known only as Oscar, the 31-year-old farmer accidentally shot himself in the face five years ago.
He has been unable to breathe unassisted, or swallow, and is slowly learning to talk again.
"I would like to thank all the medical team, the donor's family and above all my relatives for supporting me until the end," Oscar told a packed news conference, with some difficulty.
He underwent the 24-hour operation at Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron hospital in March. Surgeons lifted the donor's face and attached the entire face to Oscar's, complete with muscles, jaw, nose, cheek bones, teeth and eyelids.
Oscar will need at least a year of extensive facial therapy, but is expected to regain up to 90% function of his new face.
His sister told the news conference that Oscar just wanted to be normal again.
"He wants to have a life like he used to have. The simple fact of being able to go down the street without people looking at him in a strange way."
Oscar's transplant is the most extensive face transplant ever performed.
A French woman was the first person to receive a partial transplant 5 years ago and since then 10 other patients have received new faces.
