First Full Face Transplant In The US

Jacksonville – Connie Culp became the first US citizen to receive a full face transplant December 2008.

Culp was a victim of a crime that left her face distorted. Her husband shot her in the face with a shot gun, then he turned around and shot himself. They both survived the gun wounds. But the pellets left her with very deep emotional wounds as well as physical wounds to her face. For years she was confined to her house, due to people treating her as if she was a monster. She would get nasty stares and rude remarks towards people. That left Kulp feeling as if she did not want to face the outside world again, until December 2008.

Culp finally got her wish. It was time for her to receive her new face. The procedure lasted for 22 hours. The face transplant is called one of the hardest functional restorations in the world. Culp was missing half of her face, now she has everything including eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

Before Culp received her face transplant, she was without her nose, part of her jaw was missing and one eye. It has been 5 months since Connie Culp spoke publicly. Culp had 80% of her face replaced during her face transplant.

Culp was the fourth person to have a face transplant in the world.

The entire procedure brings up ethical issues.

Some believe that having another person face goes against nature or it is morally wrong. Culp was left with no feeling in her face, not being able to eat solid foods, and she was in constant pain.

After her successful surgery, Culp has her sense of smell back, she now has feeling in her face, she can eat solid foods, and breath out her mouth and nose. Culp had over 25 other surgeries that left her severely impaired to use basic facial functions. Culp can now go outside without the pressures of society judging her constantly.

She tells people never judge a book by its cover. She stresses that it can all be taken away without warning.