Face Transplantation for Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis (Wegener Granulomatosis)

    March 2019 in “ Annals of plastic surgery ”
    Ahmed M. Hashem, Risal Djohan, Steven Bernard, Mark Hendrickson, Graham S. Schwarz, Bahar Bassiri Gharb, Antonio Rampazzo, Gary S. Hoffman, Gaby Doumit, Wilma F. Bergfeld, James E. Zins, Maria Siemionow, Francis Papay, Brian Gastman
    TLDR Face transplant for a severe autoimmune disease patient was successful, improving appearance and function without disease relapse after three years.
    This study reported on a rare face transplant performed on a patient with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) 3 years prior. The patient underwent a Le Fort III near-total face and scalp transplant due to extensive trauma and subsequent infections. The 21-hour procedure involved complex vascular connections and preserved the functioning left eye. Over 3 years, the patient achieved an acceptable aesthetic outcome with scalp hair growth, recovered sensory functions, and did not experience GPA relapse. Four acute rejections were successfully reversed. The case highlighted the potential of face transplantation for life-threatening conditions beyond aesthetic and functional restoration.
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