Richard Norris is pictured on his prom day (L), pre-face transplant surgery (C) and post-face transplant surgery (R), in this combination of undated handout photos released by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Surgeons from the University of Maryland Medical Center on 27 March 27 2012, detailed what they said was the world's most comprehensive face transplant, allowing the 37-year-old Virginia man to emerge from behind a mask 15 years after a gun accident that almost took his life.REUTERS/Handout
Richard Norris is pictured on his prom day (L), pre-face transplant surgery (C) and post-face transplant surgery (R), in this combination of undated handout photos released by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Surgeons from the University of Maryland Medical Center on 27 March 27 2012, detailed what they said was the world's most comprehensive face transplant, allowing the 37-year-old Virginia man to emerge from behind a mask 15 years after a gun accident that almost took his life.REUTERS/HandoutFace transplant recipient Charla Nash is seen before her injury, and before and after her surgery (L-R), in this picture. Nash underwent a full face transplant after being mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009.ReutersThe image shows face transplant patient Connie Culp who survived a gun shot to her face before the 22-hour procedure performed in December 2008 (L) and recent photo after 80 percent of her face transplanted. This was the first near-total face transplant in the United States.ReutersFace transplant patient Dallas Wiens is seen before (L) his transplant and after (R) in this combination handout image. More than 30 physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists and residents worked for more than 15 hours to replace the nose, lips, facial skin, muscles of facial animation and nerves of Wiens, disfigured in an electrical accident in 2008.ReutersThis shows photo of a man surnamed Li from Xian, Shaanzi province suffered severe injuries from a bear attack in 2004. Li underwent the operation at a Xi'an hospital on 13 April 2006 that lasted for 13 hours. It was the first successful face transplant operation in China, China Daily reported. The picture on the right was taken on 28 July, 2006.REUTERS/China Daily
A gun accident victim has successfully undergone a most extensive full face transplant surgery in the US.
Richard Lee Norris from Hillsville, Virginia, was injured in a major gun accident in 1997. He was shot in the face and lost his nose, lips and most movements in his mouth.
Since then, he has had multiple life-saving and reconstructive surgeries but none could repair him to the extent where he felt he could return to society. He wore a prosthetic nose and a mask even when entering hospital for the transplant, reported Reuters.
Last week doctors from the University of Maryland Medical Center performed an extensive full face transplant surgery. They carried out the 36-hour operation and say it was part of a series of transplant operations lasting 72 hours, using organs from one donor in five patients including, Norris, according to BBC.
The officials at the medical centre said on Tuesday that Norris has been recovering well after the surgery. The team is already brushing his teeth and shaving. Norris has also regained his sense of smell, which he had lost after the accident.
Click on start to look at combination photos showing face transplant patient Richard Norris and five others before and after the surgery.
