Joe DiMeo: First face and double hand transplant for di world collect accolades from Doctors
Doctors for New York don perform di world first successful face and double hand transplant.
Mr DiMeo thanked the donor for his 'second chance' Joe DiMeo, 22, do di 23-hour surgery, wey one team of more dan 140 healthcare workers perform last August. One car crash for 2018 leave Mr DiMeo with third-degree burns of over 80% for im body. Dem amputate im fingertips and e lost im lips and eyelids. E say di operation don give am a "second chance at life". Mr DiMeo bin dey on im way home from one night shift wen e fall asleep as im dey drive. Im car crash, burst into flames. E spend four months for di burns unit, wey include di time e spend for induced coma. Mr DiMeo come do more dan 20 reconstructive surgeries but only regain limited use of im hands and face. For 2019, dem refer am to one academic medical centre for New York, NYU Langone, wia e undergo transplant surgery last August. Eduardo Rodriguez, director of di Face Transplant Program, say: "We bin wan to give am not only operation wey go make am look better, but ultimately, e suppose work well, especially with di hands." Mr DiMeo spend 45 days for intensive care afta di surgery and two months in hospital, wia e bin learnlearn how to open his eyelids and use his new hands. Face and hand transplant patient Joe DiMeo: ''I want to get back to normal living'' Two face and double hand transplants don happen before but both bin dey unsuccessful. One patient die from complications and diem remove di oda their hands afta dem no work well, di hospital tok. Doctors for di hospital wait to make sure say di transplants work well before dem label am as successful. Mr Rodriguez say Mr DiMeo, wey dey do up to five hours of rehab a day, na di "most highly motivated patient" e don ever meet. "E wan work on sports, e love to play golf, and e want to get back to di course. I always dey impressed by di amount of weight wey e fit lift and di quality of im grip strength," e add. Mr DiMeo say now, e fit workout by imself and make breakfast. Dis na once-in-a-lifetime gift, and I hope di family fit take some comfort in knowing dat part of di donor dey live on with me," e tok. "My parents and I dey very grateful say I get dis second chance."