( CNN ) -- More than two years after a chimpanzee mauled her , Charla Nash will once again be able to eat solid foods and regain her sense of smell thanks to a full face transplant , doctors at Boston 's Brigham and Women 's Hospital said Friday . `` I am happy to report that the team has achieved tremendous success , '' said Dr. Elof Eriksson , chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery . Surgeons also transplanted two hands to Nash , but they did n't thrive and were removed . In February 2009 , Sandra Herold had called her friend Nash for help in getting her pet chimpanzee , Travis , back inside her house after he used a key to escape . When Nash arrived , the chimp , who had been featured in TV commercials for Coca-Cola and Old Navy , jumped on her and began biting and mauling her , causing serious injuries to her face , neck and hands . Police shot Travis to halt the attack and he later died of gunshot wounds . Doctors say they see Nash as more than an animal attack victim . `` To us , Charla is a courageous , strong person . ( She ) inspired the team to do everything possible , using our collective expertise , to restore her quality of life , '' Plastic Surgeon Director Dr. Bohdan Pomahac said . Nash 's face transplant was different than others done before because of the extent of damage to it , the doctors said . She is the third person at Brigham and Women 's Hospital to receive a full face transplant ; Dallas Wiens was the first in the United States to have such a surgery in March , also at the hospital . Nash is the second to receive a double-hand transplant at the same time as a face transplant ; the first was performed in France in 2009 . That patient died of a heart attack in a later operation . Nash had lost her nose , upper jaw , most of the soft tissue on her face , and both upper and lower lips . She was also left blind . The surgery , which was performed last month , involved removing some tissue and attaching skin and underlying muscle , based on vessels and nerves that provide motor and sensory functions , Pomahac said . The entire hard palate and teeth were also transplanted . The result was `` miraculous , '' said Nash 's brother , Steve . The thing Nash is most looking forward to , her brother said , was visiting their favorite hot dog stand . As for the double hand transplant , doctors successfully attached the new hands , but a few days later Nash became sick and her blood pressure fell , causing circulation problems to the new limbs . After a few days , doctors saw that the hands were not thriving and removed them . In the next three months , Nash will regain sensation to her face , and in six to nine months will be able to smile , control her lips and otherwise make facial expressions , Pomahac said . `` All these things will gradually improve , '' he said . Nash skipped her child 's high school graduation because she was afraid of taking away from the occasion , but thanks to the transplant , can look forward to being present for college graduation , Pomahac said . The surgery will give her a chance to have a more normal social life , he said .
Charla Nash was attacked by a man in 2009 . She had a face transplant last year . Her brother said the operation ` ` miraculous ''