Turkish doctors complete fourth face transplant

ANTALYA – Doğan News Agency

Dr. Ömer Özkan brings human tissues to the hospital in Antalya for the transplant operation. DHA photo

A Turkish university hospital in the Mediterranean province of Antalya is currently completing Turkey’s fourth face transplant operation. 

A team led by Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan from Akdeniz University’s Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery began the operation early morning at 6. 30 a.m. 

The donation of nineteen-year-old Tevfik Yılmaz’s face for the surgery was approved by his family, who hail from the western Anatolian province of Uşak. Yılmaz’s face will be given to 34-year-old Turan Çolak. The operation is expected to last between eight and 10 hours.

“Everything is prepared for Turkey’s fourth face transplant operation,” Dr. Özkan told reporters while transporting the face.

The transplant recipient reportedly lost his face in a household accident when he was 3 years old. 

Özkan and his team completed Turkey’s first successful face transplant surgery in January. Uğur Acar, the patient, has recovered rapidly. Two other face transplants were performed after Acar’s, one at Hacettepe University and one at Gazi University. However, the Health Ministry revoked Hacettepe University’s license to perform composite tissue transplant operations last month, on the grounds that the face and quadruple limb transplant surgeries conducted by the university’s medical staff on Feb. 24 were not in line with regulations.