(CNN) – A 30-year-old Michigan man hasn’t been able to smile in more than 10 years, but now, he can after becoming one of just a few dozen people to receive a successful face transplant.
Derek Pfaff has a new face a decade after attempting suicide by shooting himself in the face. He lost his nose, lips, teeth and parts of his forehead. It affected his ability to breathe, chew, swallow, smile and blink.
After 58 facial reconstructive surgeries in the years that followed, he was still missing a lot of his face and couldn’t chew or speak easily.
Then, Pfaff had the opportunity to get a face transplant surgery.
His surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in February lasted 50-plus hours. It involved a team of at least 80 healthcare professionals
The team removed the face of a donor then surgically implanted the donor tissue onto Pfaff. About 85% of his face was reconstructed and replaced with donor tissue.
Pfaff can now express emotions on his face and speak much more clearly and easily.
“After all that work, I look like a person again. It was incredible,” he said.
He adds that he’s doing well overall, is excited about his future and wants to help others by raising suicide awareness.
Copyright 2024 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.