Health aNd Fitness Guide

A French woman who received the world’s first partial face transplant is all smiles. Isabelle Dinoire, 38, who lost her facial parts when they were torn off by her dog, had her nose, cheeks, mouth, lips, and chin replaced with donor tissue in November 2005.

Dr. Jean-Michael Dubernard of Lyon University in France, and his colleagues who led the transplant, report in the New England Journal of Medicine that Isabelle has recuperated well despite initial setbacks. Initially, her lips did not move properly and she had difficulty drinking, but she got better after one year. Her sensation to heat and cold recovered after six-months. She had difficulty pronouncing words with certain sounds, but with time the problem was resolved. Two other patients are said to have undergone face transplants after Isabelle.