The World's First Partial Face Transplant Happened After Isabelle Dinoire's Face Was Ripped By A Dog

Isabelle Dinoire (Source: capture euronews screen)

JAKARTA - Today November 27, 15 years ago or in 2005, a woman from France, Isabelle Dinoire, became the first person to undergo a partial face transplant in the world. He performed the operation after being attacked by his pet dog, which left his face torn apart.

Dinoire's daughter reports that her family believes the dog accidentally injured Dinoire. They believe Dinoire's disability was caused when the dog, who found Dinoire unwilling to wake up, panicked and started scratching and biting Dinoire. Dinoire was heartbroken when the dog was euthanized and kept a photo of the dog next to his hospital bed.

Dinoire then underwent facial surgery at the Amiens Hospital, France. Quoting The Guardian, the operation was very complex and high risk. How not, the transplant is taken from the face of a human who has died.

Meanwhile, the team of doctors said the face transplant surgery was led by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard, who performed the world's first hand transplant at Lyon's Edouard Herriot hospital in 1998 and Professor Bernard Devauchelle, head of maxillo-facial surgery.

A team of French doctors shocked the surgical world. Many thought the first face transplants were performed in the United States (US), after the announcement that the Cleveland clinic in Ohio had ethical approval and would begin interviewing prospective patients.

The sudden surgical leap found the medical community and society unprepared for the scientific, ethical, and social implications of a surgical procedure struggling for the transition from a science fiction novel to a science.

But Michael Earley, consultant plastic surgeon and member of the Royal College of Surgeons' work for face transplants, said it was an operation that would eventually happen.

"The operation can be done anywhere where there are micro-surgeons and trained plastic surgeons. China, Australia or any other country from a technical point of view. What is holding it back is an ethical issue," Earley said.

A team at London's Royal Free hospital, under Professor Peter Butler, have done extensive work modeling what a transplanted face looks like. The face that is transplanted later does not look like a donor or recipient. Psychological studies were also carried out prior to the major surgery.

But, says Earley, the ethical climate in Britain is just not right. "I think there will be some objections from ethicists and psychologists and the general public," he said.

There is a risk of long-term rejection, which will make the patient's condition worse than before. They also have to take medication for life. This risk must be balanced with the benefits the patient will receive. Inevitably, patients expect better results than they might get.

High risk

French authorities initially hesitated before granting permission because of the "enormous medical and psychological risks" associated with the operation. The dangers of short- and long-term transplant rejection, as well as the potential ethical and psychological complications of someone "using" another person's face are also considered. However controversial, the operation is still going on.

In April 2016, Dinoire passed away which was confirmed by his doctor in Amiens. The news of Dinoire's death only circulated in September and with the excuse of not announcing his previous death to protect the privacy of the Dinoire family.

Doctors did not reveal the exact cause of death. However, there are reports that Dinoire's body has refused the transplant since 2015. Dinoire has lost control of part of his lips.

The drugs he had to take to prevent his body from rejecting the transplant made him vulnerable to cancer. It is known that there are two cancers that have developed in Dinoire's body.