Name: Spain performs pioneering face transplant from assisted-dying donor
Uploaded: 2026-02-03T09:47:26.695Z
Duration: 1 min 27 s
Description: A hospital in Barcelona it had performed a pioneering facial transplant in which the donor, in a world first, had offered her face for donation before undergoing an assisted dying procedure.

A hospital in Barcelona it had performed a pioneering facial transplant in which the donor, in a world first, had offered her face for donation before undergoing an assisted dying procedure.

Barcelona

A hospital in Barcelona, Spain, has carried out a pioneering facial transplant using tissue from a donor who had chosen to undergo assisted dying. The surgery, performed at Valdebaran University Hospital, involved around 100 medical experts and was the first of its kind globally, as the donor had offered her face prior to the assisted dying procedure.

The recipient, known as Carme, lost much of her facial tissue due to a severe bacterial infection and expressed gratitude for the donation, reporting a positive recovery. The hospital has a history of innovation in facial transplantation, having also performed the world's first full face transplant in 2010. Spain legalized assisted dying in 2021, becoming the fourth EU country to do so.

Spain performs pioneering face transplant from assisted-dying donor

A hospital in Spain's Barcelona said Monday that it had performed a pioneering facial transplant. In a world first, the donor had offered her face for donation before undergoing an assisted dyeing procedure. The complex surgery at the Valdebaran University Hospital used tissue from the central part of the face. It involved about 100 experts, including psychiatrists and immunologists. The recipient is known only as Carme. She had lost much of her facial tissue due to a severe bacterial infection from an insect bite. That made it hard for her to speak, eat or see properly. At a press conference on Monday, Carme said her recovery was going very well. I'm at home and sometimes I look myself in the mirror, making faces, as if to say I already look more like myself. I'm starting to look more like myself. So everything is evolving very well. Above all, with all my heart, thanks to the donor and her family. For facial transplants like this, the donor and recipient must match sex and blood type and have similar head size. Half of the six facial transplants ever done in Spain have been performed by Valdebaran staff. The Catalan hospital also carried out the world's first full face transplant back in 2010. In 2021, Spain became the fourth EU country to allow a sister dying.

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