__A Polish man's life was saved after receiving a face transplan__t JUST three weeks after it was crushed and disfigured in a work accident. The 33-year-old who has been referred to only by his first name, Grzegorz, is the world's first person to receive an emergency face transplant. In other words, the first person to ever receive a face transplant in such a timely manner. Could you believe that?
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Patients who need face transplants normally need to wait anywhere from a year to several years, but for Grzegorz that wasn't even an option. Doctors had no choice but to work fast because there was a very high possibility he was going to contract a life-threatening infection.
Grzegorz was injured at his job back in April at a stone mason's workshop when a stone-cutting machine suddenly tore off most of his face and crushed his jaw. It was so fatal that there was no possible way to just reattach it. In order to prevent a life-threatening infection from occurring, doctors had to give him an immediate face transplant.
My goodness! Could you imagine something like that happening to you? Luckily, doctors realized that they had to work quick otherwise this poor man probably wouldn't be alive today!
The man was taken to the Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology in Giliwice, because it's literally the only place in Poland that's licensed to perform face transplants. This was the first time they ever received a case like this. The surgery took place on May 15, shortly after they received a donor and took about 27 hours. It included reconstruction around the eyes, nose, jaws, along with other parts of Grzegorz's face.
The surgery went so well that only 11 weeks after the operation Grzegorz was sent home. "We assume the surgery will allow the patient to return to normal life. He will be able to breathe, to eat, to see," Dr. Adam Maciejewski, the doctor who headed the team of surgeons said
¡Pobrecito! I can't even imagine how horrifying that accident must have been. Thank God doctors were able to realize how urgent the situation was and operated as soon as they could. This story is truly amazing. Grzegorz seems to be looking good so far, wishing him a speedy recovery!
Image via Getty Images
