Wow this is pretty amazing.

[CyBer]

A 37-year-old Virginia man severely disfigured by a 1997 gun accident has received the most extensive full-face transplant in medical history, according to University of Maryland Medical Center surgeons.

Hospital officials report that Richard Lee Norris, of Hillsville, Va., is recovering well after an amazing, medically unprecedented 36-hour surgery that not only gave him a new face—from the hairline to the neck--but also teeth, a tongue, and upper and lower jaws. (See before/after photo above, right.)

A week after the full-face operation, Norris’ improvement has exceeded his doctors’ expectations. He can open and close his mouth and is already brushing his new teeth and shaving the whiskers growing on the transplanted face. He’s miraculously regained his sense of smell, which he’d lost after the accident.



Face Transplant Patient Richard Lee Norris | Yahoo! Health

[cymaniac17]

wow.... that's simply amazing.

[CLONECONES]

thats incredible

[geburgess]

Medical marvel.

[bos]

Face..........Off.

[Hawkeye11en1]

Face..........Off.

Face..........ON

[CyBer]

That's gotta be one of the most odd feelings in the world to look in the mirror and see someone else's face. Literally someone you don't know.

[bos]

You know, that movie was such a far out premise and now here we are....reality.

[Fishhead]

how about the donors family? Seeing the face of a deceased loved one would be pretty freaky.

[Let's Go State]

how about the donors family? Seeing the face of a deceased loved one would be pretty freaky.

My thoughts exactly. But great news for him.... 36 hour surgery!

[CyBer]

My thoughts exactly. But great news for him.... 36 hour surgery!

36 hours of surgery would be like nothing to him, but to the doctors.....I bet they were sore the next day and a half haha.

[acgclone]

That's crazy.

[CyBer]

Here are some more that have received the operation:

Dallas Wiens, a 26-year-old Texan who accidentally struck a power line while painting a church


Mitch Hunter, 30, of Indiana, disfigured by a car crash



Famous lady who got attacked by a Chimpanzee (another reason I hate people who keep wild animals like that as pets).



Seems like the guy in the first post got the best one yet, looks like they are getting better with the procedure.

[DMICyclone]

36 hours? My goodness gracious. I wonder what the mortality rate on theese surgeries are.

[clone2011]

Wow...those pics posted by CyBer are amazing. The lady who got attacked by the chimpanzee really got to me, being able to see what she looked like before incident, not just before the surgery.

Incredible what the medical field is doing these days.