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Face Transplant

Face Transplant Since the world‘s first face transplant in 2005, only nine have been completed in the

US. and 3; worldwide. Given the complexity of the procedure, facial transplantation

has been limited to patients with severe facial deformities. Following the success of the arm/hand transplant program, a multidisciplinary team at Johns Hopkins. including plastic and reconstructive surgeons, ENT surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons, and critical care

and anesthesiologists, has been preparing for face transplants.

“A critical aspect of our facial transplant program is the collaborative effort of these different specialties coming together, providing their expertise, and forming the very best that Johns Hopkins Medicine olfers for our potential recipients,” says Amir Dorafshar, clinical co-director of the Face Transplant Program.

The multidisciplinary team has identihed a potential recipient and recently trained surgeons from various backgrounds to work cohesively in a synchronized fashion to perform one of the largest transplants to date, Dorafshar says. Working in close collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the team will use the latest technology-customized cutting templates with threedimensional tracking, along with real-time cephalometry-to guide surgeons as they cut and attach face-jaw-teeth segments to ensure optimal positioning and functionality of the transplant, says Chad Gordon, clinical co-director of the Face Transplant Program a g Multidisciplinary Adult Cranioplasty Center. This patent-pending technology is designed to minimize the follow-up revision surgeries common in the past, when surgeons had no way of knowing which microscopic bone cuts, measurements and angles would maximize functionality until the surgery was complete.

“It's like GPS for face transplant,” Gordon says. “If you get into a traffic jam based on unexpected findings and need a detour to get someplace better, quicker and safer, you simply hit adjust. That's what we have now. You just click to see if you’re doing the right job, or if you need to adjust the plan on the fly.”

The team is looking forward to putting its preparation into action. “Our teams are trained and ready," Dorafshar says. “We have put into place the necessary infrastructure and team-oriented framework for many other face transplants to come. Using the unique immune modulation protocol with minimal immunosuppression, the team is ready to broaden the pool of candidates who could benefit not only from face transplant, but also eyelid, nose or lip transplants.”

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