Patrick Hardison was a volunteer firefighter in Mississippi in 2001 when he was badly injured while attempting a rescue. The roof of the building collapsed and burned his head and face so severely that he lost his eyelids, ears, lips, most of his hair. Despite 71 surgeries, he was unable to return to a normal life.
But in August, Hardison, age 41, received the most extensive face and scalp transplant ever attempted, performed at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. The surgery started on the morning of August 14 and finished 26 hours later, and involved more than 100 physicians, nurses, and support staff, headed by Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS of New York University. The surgery was performed in two adjacent operating rooms, one where the donor's face and scalp were procured and one where Hardison received them.
Hardison's transplant included ears and ear canals, eyelids (including the muscles that control blinking of the lids), and bony portions of the chin, cheeks, and the whole nose. The transplant extends from the top of the head, over Hardison's skull and down to the collarbones in front. In back, only a small patch of Hardison's original hair remains.
Because of the loss of eyelids, doctors had previously used skin grafts to close Hardison's eyes to small pinholes, making him almost blind. Now, 3 months after his surgery, Hardison is doing well. The lower parts of his face remains swollen, but he able to blink and has an almost normal field of vision for the first time since his injury.
Hardison will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life to keep his body from rejecting the transplanted tissue. He will also need physical and occupational therapy as well as speech and swallowing therapy.
In an unusual move, the name of the donor of the face and scalp was made public. It was David P. Rodebaugh, 26, an artist and bicyclist who died in a bicycling accident in Brooklyn. Rodebaugh had been registered organ donor and was a close tissue match to Hardison, as well as having similar hair and skin color. In addition to donating his face and scalp, Rodebaugh's heart, liver, and kidneys were transplanted into other recipients.
With further healing, Hardison's face is expecting to look like a blend of his original face and that of Rodebaugh.
