Turkey's first face transplant patient utters first words

Acar suffered serious burns to his face during a house fire that occurred when he was just 40 days old, TODAY'S ZAMAN reports.

Dr. Ömer Özkan, a professor from the department of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery at Antalya University's Faculty of Medicine, told the press on Wednesday that the young patient was continuing to surprise doctors with the speediness of his progress following the operation, adding that stubble had even begun to emerge on Acar's face.

"When the doctors went into Acar's room in the hospital this morning they were just about to give greetings to the young patient but he managed to get there before them and said 'hoş geldin' [welcome]," Özkan relayed, adding that despite the fact that the words Acar had managed to say were quite coarse and muffled that he was nonetheless able to communicate well. "This is a very important development for us. Uğur was able to communicate that he was thirsty and hungry. We are very pleased," he said.

Acar managed to give a thumbs-up sign to doctors shortly after gaining consciousness after the operation and was photographed in the Sabah daily writing on a piece of a paper, "When will I be out of here?" earlier in the week. The young patient was visited in intensive care by Antalya Mayor Ahmet Altıparmak and the Akdeniz University rector, Professor İsrafil Kurcephe, and it was reported that his family, who visited him the day after the operation, were pleased with the results.

Özkan explained that Acar will slowly be able to make small facial expressions, adding that it will take about six months of intensive therapy for the young man to be able to make them fully. Acar, who has not yet seen his own appearance in a mirror, will be given the opportunity to see his new reflection next week. Özkan said psychiatrists will be at Acar's side when he is provided with a mirror for the first time. The professor further added that the pictures being circulated in the press at present have been blurred due to bruising and swelling on the patient's face.

The transplant was made possible after the family of a man, Ahmet Kaya, who had been declared brain dead two weeks ago, donated all of his organs. Two of Kaya's arms and one leg were also taken to be transplanted on Atilla Kavdır, who lost his arms and right leg when he was 11 years old. Kavdır's situation saw a setback when his body rejected the transplanted leg, leaving surgeons no choice but to surgically amputate it.

 
Details also at http://www.todayszaman.com/