30 Spanish doctors have performed what is now deemed the first successful face transplant. This intricate surgery was more than just a grafting of skin to a damaged face as many other facial transplants have been. This 22 hour operation consisted of replacing all of the facial skin as well as muscles and some bone.

The man, injured in a shooting accident 9 years ago has undergone many operations before becoming a candidate for a facial transplant. During this operation a team of doctors reconstructed his nose, replaced cheekbones and teeth, reconstructed lips and inserted muscles and skin from a donor.

Recovering in Barcelona, this man was only the 11th person in the world to get a facial transplant, and the first to receive the entire face as well as bone structure in the operation.

The operation was actually carried out on March 30th, but the information was just revealed by the hospital today. The realization that this may cause a lot of media attention made doctors keep it quiet to begin. Because the operation was so serious they wanted to ensure the patient was fine before letting anyone know it had been performed. The patient’s identity has not been revealed at this time.

30 Spanish Doctors Complete First Total Face Transplant