Search

Background: Facial self-inflicted gunshot wounds (SIGSWs) cause a devastating midfacial defect and pose a challenging problem to the reconstructive surgeon. Face transplantation (FT) has the potential for near-normal restoration in otherwise non-reconstructible defects. Two out of 7 FT recipients at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) sustained SIGSWs. In this study, we illustrate the role of FT in the management of SIGSWs through an aesthetic, functional, and psychosocial examination of outcomes., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of individuals with SIGSWs who were screened at BWH between 2008 and 2015. We then collected data of the injuries, modes of conventional reconstruction (CR), and deficits. For the FT recipients, we critically reviewed the psychosocial screening process and post-transplantation aesthetic, functional, and psychosocial outcomes., Results: A total of six individuals post-SIGSWs were screened for FT. All of them had undergone CR, with five receiving loco-regional flaps and free tissue transfers, and one undergoing serial debridement and primary soft-tissue repair. Following CR, all suffered from residual functional and aesthetic deficits. Two underwent partial FT and one is currently undergoing FT screening. We describe the pre-transplant psychosocial screening process and the aesthetic, functional, and psychosocial outcomes of the SIGSW FT recipients., Conclusions: We examined the facial SIGSW injury, outcomes of CR, and the mechanism of FT to offer a potential solution to the shortcomings of CR. More importantly, we highlight the critical nature of the psychosocial component of the multidisciplinary evaluation given the history of mental illness and suicidal behavior in this subset of patients., (Copyright © 2016 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Facial allotransplantation restores normal anatomy to severely disfigured faces. Although >30 such operations performed worldwide have yielded promising short-term results, data on long-term outcomes remain scarce. Three full-face transplant recipients were followed for 40 months. Severe changes in volume and composition of the facial allografts were noted. Data from computed tomography performed 6, 18 and 36 months after transplantation were processed to separate allograft from recipient tissues and further into bone, fat and nonfat soft tissues. Skin and muscle biopsies underwent diagnostic evaluation. All three facial allografts sustained significant volume loss (mean 19.55%) between 6 and 36 months after transplant. Bone and nonfat soft tissue volumes decreased significantly over time (17.22% between months 6 and 18 and 25.56% between months 6 and 36, respectively), whereas fat did not. Histological evaluations showed atrophy of muscle fibers. Volumetric and morphometric changes in facial allografts have not been reported previously. The transformation of facial allografts in this study resembled aging through volume loss but differed substantially from regular aging. These findings have implications for risk-benefit assessment, donor selection and measures counteracting muscle and bone atrophy. Superior long-term outcomes of facial allotransplantation will be crucial to advance toward future clinical routine., (© Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)