U.S. doctors have done what they said was "full of the most extensive face transplant" to date.
Richard Lee Norris from Hillsville, Virginia, received a full facial transplant including the jaw, teeth, and tongue at the University of Maryland Medical Centre in a marathon 36-hour operation.
37 years old was seriously injured in a gun accident in 1997 where he lost his nose and lips and was left with limited mouth movement.
Mr. Norris to live-saving and reconstructive surgery a few. However, he has spent 15 years living as a hermit, and wore a mask on the rare occasions he ventured outside.
Richard Lee Norris from Hillsville, Virginia, received a full facial transplant including the jaw, teeth, and tongue at the University of Maryland Medical Centre in a marathon 36-hour operation.
37 years old was seriously injured in a gun accident in 1997 where he lost his nose and lips and was left with limited mouth movement.
Mr. Norris to live-saving and reconstructive surgery a few. However, he has spent 15 years living as a hermit, and wore a mask on the rare occasions he ventured outside.
The new faces coming from an anonymous donor organ is also used to save the lives of five others. Four of organ transplants take place over two days in the hospital.
Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, who led the face transplant team, said: "We used an innovative surgical practices and techniques to precisely computerized transplant mid-face, upper jaw and lower jaw including the teeth, and a portion of the tongue.
"In addition, transplantation including all facial soft tissues of the scalp to the neck, including the underlying muscles to allow facial expressions, and sensory and motor nerves to restore feeling and function.
"Our goal is to restore function and aesthetic results have been."
Part of the hospital research funding from the U.S. Navy, is hoping a new surgical procedure will help victims of trauma.
The first successful face transplant performed in 2005 partially in France, in women 38 years who had been attacked by a dog.
First full face transplant in the world is done in Spain in 2010.
