Overview

Face transplant is a treatment option for some people with severe facial disfigurement. A face transplant replaces all or part of a person's face with donor tissue from someone who has died.

Face transplant is a complex operation that takes months of planning and multiple surgical teams. The procedure is performed in only a few transplant centers worldwide. Each face transplant candidate is carefully evaluated to help ensure the best possible results in appearance and function.

A face transplant may enhance your life, but it is a high-risk procedure. You and your transplant team can't predict exactly how you will look and how your immune system will respond to the new face. You'll need to take special medications (immunosuppressants) for the rest of your life to reduce the risk of your body rejecting the transplanted face.