A BARCELONA hospital has carried out the world’s first face transplant using a donor who chose assisted dying, marking a major medical milestone in Spain.
Vall d’Hebron University Hospital confirmed the operation lasted close to 24 hours and involved around 100 medical staff.
Hospital officials said it is the first time anywhere in the world that a face transplant has been performed using a donor who died through euthanasia.
The recipient, Carme, suffered severe facial damage after a bacterial infection two years ago.
The devastating illness left her unable to eat, speak or breathe properly.
“Now my life is starting to get a little better,” she said after the marathon procedure.
“After four months, I can talk, I can eat, I can drink again.”
Doctors said the transplant focused on restoring basic functions rather than appearance.
“Face transplantation is functional surgery,” said Joan-Pere Barret, head of Plastic Surgery and Burns at the hospital.
“A transplanted face that does not feel or move is nothing more than a mask.”
The donor was a woman authorised for assisted dying under Spanish law.
She chose to donate her organs, including her face, before her death.
Spain’s euthanasia law came into force in June 2021 and allows organ donation under strict conditions.
The case was approved by ethics committees and Spain’s National Transplant Organisation.
Beatriz Dominguez-Gil, head of the organisation, described the operation as a ‘collective achievement’.
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