“The sun will rise tomorrow”: American “given a second chance” after face transplant

ITV News’ Graham Stothard reports on the extraordinary ‘life-giving’ operation

Warning: This article contains details and images that some readers may find disturbing.

An American man claims he has been given a “second chance” at life after undergoing a “miracle” face transplant ten years after he suffered catastrophic facial injuries.

Derek Pfaff has undergone 58 reconstructive surgeries over the past decade, but he was still missing his nose, upper and lower jaws, teeth, eyelids and parts of his forehead bones. He was unable to chew or speak freely.

“There was still a lot of work to be done and there was really nothing more the hospital or facility could do for him,” said his mother, Lisa Pfaff.

She says the doctor then told her, “Derek’s only option is a face transplant.”

Pfaff, 30, is now one of dozens of people in the world who have successfully undergone a life-changing face transplant.

The operation took a team of more than 80 people over 50 hours, and his mother called it “simply a miracle.”

A key part of the surgery was restoring the smile to Mr. Pfaff’s face by building muscles around his mouth.

“You should see the smile on his face (…) it’s part of the surgery that really determines success,” said Dr. Samir Mardini. “This is not a life-saving procedure, but a life-giving procedure.”

Derek said he “looked human again” after his face transplant.

They surgically removed the donor’s face and implanted that tissue into Derek. According to Dr. Mardini, who led the surgery, his reconstructed face is about 85% a gift.

The team had to perform the surgery digitally first, figuring out how to perform the surgery on a computer before Derek entered the operating room. They had previously printed a 3D model of the graft, which they referenced during surgery.

Derek after surgery he was told to wait about a month before he could see his new face and during that time, Mardini said, it was his patient she met with a psychiatrist to prepare for the big reveal.

“He wasn’t allowed to have a camera, phone or iPad,” said Derek’s mother, Lisa. “The bathroom mirror was covered so he couldn’t see himself.”

Derek’s injuries were the result of a failed suicide attempt when he was a 20-year-old college student in March 2014.

Exactly ten years after that fateful night, Derek finally got to see his new face for the first time.

“We turned a really sad, hard day into a really joyful experience for Derek and it was just a miracle – a miracle that he was able to see himself,” his mother said.

While in the hospital, Derek looked in the mirror. He said he “looked like a human again” and that he was given a “second chance.”

He can now express emotions on his face: joy, laughter, sadness and disappointment. He can speak much clearer and easier.

He exercises twice a week, trains under the supervision of a speech therapist and takes immunosuppressive drugs that reduce the risk transplant rejectionwhich happens when the transplant recipient’s immune system attacks the donor organ or tissue. He will take these medications for the rest of his life.

Overall, Derek said he was “doing well.” He is excited about his future and now wants to “help others” by raising suicide awareness.

“The sun will rise tomorrow,” he said he said. “You just have to stay positive, no matter the situation. Look beyond the pit.

“We are so proud of him and everything he has overcome in the last 10 years by having a fighting spirit and staying positive,” his mother said.