Thursday, August 25, 2016

The Firefighter Who Got A Face Transplant

The man found a pretty good surgeon.
From Forbes:

Firefighter Post Face Transplant One Year Ago: "I Am Feeling Great"
When Patrick Hardison, a volunteer firefighter from Senatobia, Mississippi entered a burning house to save a woman’s life in 2001 at the age of 27, little would he know that that the catastrophic and disfiguring facial burns he would suffer would lead him on an epic journey to NYU Langone 15 years later for a full facial transplant by renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, that would forever change his life.

Harrison endured 71 surgeries over 12 years before coming to NYU last year to allow Rodriguez to correct the disfiguring scars and resulting contractures that developed over the many years from his initial burns he suffered in 2001.

Now one year later, at a news conference yesterday at NYU Langone, Hardison, appearing upbeat, thanked his medical team and expressed his sincere gratitude for performing his life changing surgery.
Patrick_Progression_9
Progression of Patrick Hardison’s face, prior to, and after the transplant. (Courtesy NYU Langone)
“I’d like to say that I’m the same old Pat, but that would not give enough credit to the amazing journey that I have gone through over the past year,” said Hardison as he addressed the audience at the news conference....MORE