Beijing-based newspaper the First reported on December 14 that China's first potential face transplant recipient was confirmed in the capital days after the world's first face transplant, given to a 38-year-old woman in France on November 27.
The recipient, 35, from north China's Hebei Province is named Wang and was severely disfigured by molten iron when working in a steel-making factory a year ago.
"Since his situation is severe, three fourths of his face has to be grafted, including ears, nose, lips, chin and cheeks of two sides," said Chen Huanran, an orthopedic China Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) expert who has performed over 100 of the more than 140 gender reassignment operations that have been done in China.
According to the report, Wang can only consume liquid food and open his mouth slightly when talking and didn't leave his house for half a year because he was afraid of strange looks from others. He refused therapy before, but "when thinking about two young children and old parents, the responsibility on my shoulder, I know I have to live rather than die," he said during an interview with reporters at the CAMS Plastic Surgery Hospital.
"There are scores or even hundreds of people wanting to receive face transplants every year, what we need are donors," said Chen, who called on volunteers via the internet on December 6.
But there are cultural stigmas to be overcome – when a person passes away, their relatives might not tolerate them leaving the world without "face."
"Major problem stems not from technical feasibility, but from the absence of laws and regulations in China," Chen said.
"Even if a match is available now, the surgeon has to apply to a supervisory authority and get approval from a medical ethics committee, law committee and the Ministry of Health, which takes several months," Chen said.
Qiu Renzong, member of the Ministry of Health ethics committee wondered who would approve such an operation, since there is currently no specific department responsible.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Yunxing, December 18, 2005)
