health
февраль 6, 2026
Первая трансплантация лица проведена с использованием донора, которому была проведена эвтаназия
Больница Валь д'Эброн в Барселоне, Испания, успешно провела первую в мире трансплантацию лица с использованием донора, который про сил эвтаназии. Операция, считающаяся беспрецедентной в истории медицины, восстановила функцию лица Карме, женщины, страдавшей от тяжелого некроза после бактериальной инфекции.
TL;DR
- В больнице Валь д'Эброн успешно проведена первая в мире трансплантация лица с использованием донора, которому была проведена эвтаназия.
- Операция восстановила утраченные функции лица пациентки Карме, включая речь, дыхание и прием пищи.
- Процедура является экспериментальной, всего в мире проведено 54 подобных трансплантации.
- Испания, и особенно Валь д'Эброн, является одним из мировых лидеров в области трансплантации лица.
The intervention restored facial function to a patient with necrosis; the experimental procedure opens new medical perspectives.
The Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, successfully performed the world's first face transplant using a donor who had requested euthanasia. The operation, considered unprecedented in the history of medicine, restored facial function to Carme, a woman who suffered severe necrosis following a bacterial infection.
The procedure, performed four months ago, involved around 100 professionals from various medical disciplines and falls within a still experimental field, where only 54 face transplants have been carried out worldwide. In Spain, six of them have been performed, three at Vall d'Hebron Hospital.
The case stands out not only for its technical complexity, but also for its ethical and social context: the donor, in addition to donating organs and tissues, offered to donate her face, which allowed for the development of personalized guides with 3D planning to ensure the best possible functionality.
The procedure restores the patient's ability to speak, eat, and breathe normally, as well as regaining sensation in the transplant area, marking a milestone in reconstructive surgery, local media reported.
A novel and complex transplant
The medical team at Vall d'Hebron explained that the operation consisted of transplanting skin, fat tissue, peripheral nerves, facial muscles, and bones using neurovascular microsurgery techniques. The aim was to guarantee not only the appearance but also the functionality and sensation of the face. The patient, Carme, recounted that before the procedure she couldn't open her mouth, breathe properly, or perform everyday activities. After the transplant, she says her life has changed: “I can speak, I'm starting to eat, I have sensation in the transplant area, I can drink, have a coffee. I don't mind going out, and I can live a normal life.”
Rigorous patient and risk selection
Face transplants are considered experimental procedures and require authorization on a case-by-case basis. Candidate selection includes strict medical criteria, as well as psychological and social evaluations to ensure adaptability. International studies indicate that the five-year survival rate after this type of surgery is 85%, and the ten-year survival rate is 74%. However, risks remain, such as chronic graft rejection and the need for lifelong immunosuppression, in addition to the emotional impact of living with a new face.
Spain and its leadership in facial transplants
Since the first partial face transplant in France in 2005, just over fifty face transplants have been performed worldwide. Spain has been one of the pioneering countries, with six operations, three of them at Vall d'Hebron, including the first full face transplant in 2010. This new case reinforces the Barcelona hospital's role as an international leader in this field, achieving a unique milestone: the first face transplant performed with facial tissue donated by a person who received euthanasia.