First Face Transplant Patient Smiles—Slightly

Isabelle Dinoire can smile a little, her doctors reported yesterday, a big accomplishment for the world’s first face transplant recipient. Her case shows that the controversial surgery can work—but it also highlighted the risks involved. Dinoire has dealt with two tissue-rejection episodes, two kidney failures, anemia and high blood pressure in the 18 months since the transplant in France.

“Everyone in the world said this should not be done because the world was not ready and the risks were too high,” said one plastic surgeon. Dinoire is said to be happy, and unafraid to walk the street. “She now has a human face,” said one of her doctors. “If she wanted to kiss someone, she could.”  (More face transplant stories.)