Face transplant success (not for faint of heart)

[PepperElf]

Wow.

I knew that doctors often used eyes, hearts, and other organs for transplants, but this is the first time I've ever seen an entire face used.


The woman was *extremely* disfigured when her ex tossed industrial-strength lye in her face back in 07. But now, now she has normal skin again, as well as the underlying muscles & nerves.

The daughter of the donor is also very pleased with the outcome. According to the article, she's happy that she can see part of her mother again.



DO NOT CLICK ON CLINK IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO IMAGES
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/0...eals-new-face/

[Food Lady]

I'm totally overcome with emotions: extreme sadness at what was done to her, shocked amazement at what lye can do (never going to try making soap now!), and happiness to see how the new face benefits her and the donor's daughter. What a generous, beautiful gift to give someone!

[PepperElf]

yeah lye can be pretty caustic. I'd say don't give up on making soap (unless you want to) - just be careful is all. (Or do glycerine based soap where you only have to melt the stuff down and pour it into molds)

[lordlundar]

shocked amazement at what lye can do (never going to try making soap now!)

Never have pretzels again either apparently.

[AccountingDrone]

Amazing. With sunglasses she will more or less look like someone with a stroke.

Wow, just amazing. In under 75 years we have gone from trying to keep kidney transplant patients alive to sticking someones face onto someone else! [or +/- 125 years for not killing people with blood transfusions dependably to face transplants.]

Maybe we will be able to do stuff like spinal transplants with 3D printed spines so someone like me won't have to deal with so much chronic pain!

[wolfie]

yeah lye can be pretty caustic. I'd say don't give up on making soap (unless you want to) - just be careful is all. (Or do glycerine based soap where you only have to melt the stuff down and pour it into molds)

And be sure to wear splash-resistant safety goggles (not just safety glasses). Fun fact: eye injuries due to alkali are more serious than those due to acid of equivalent strength. With an acid, the proteins in the surface of the cornea get denatured, resulting in an impermeable film keeping the acid from going deeper. Also, a PROFESSIONAL can use an OPTHOMOLOGICAL GRADE, MILD alkaline solution to partially neutralize the acid. With an alkali, there's no denaturing, so it can soak deeper, and neutralizing with a mild acid is not an option - it'll denature the surface layer, trapping the soaked-in alkali.

[Food Lady]

Yep, I will let the Bronners make soap for me. Plus, the bottles are cool.