"The first time I went into the grocery store, nobody looked at me. And I noticed [that] nobody looked at me. And that, well that's sort of really nice." In 2007, Carmen Tarleton was assaulted by her ex-husband, resulting in chemical burns over 80% of her body. She recovered after dozens of surgeries, but her face was severely disfigured. In February 2013, Cheryl Denelli-Righter suffered a stroke that left her brain-dead. Her daughter Marinda was approached to see if she was willing to donate her mother's face. This past Valentine's day, Carmen received her face transplant, the 29th in the world. This is their story. (note: article contains photos and video of Carmen both before and after the transplant.) [more inside]
posted by Homeboy Trouble on Jun 5, 2013 - 27 comments

Virtual Heart Transplant Surgery [more inside]
posted by crunchland on Mar 24, 2012 - 36 comments

Lancet reports say partial face transplants are a reality. Face transplant before and after pictures here.
posted by NikitaNikita on Aug 22, 2008 - 28 comments

All your face are belong to us. 16-yr-old Irish girl looks set to receive the world's first face transplant, it has been reported. Right now it's a medical procedure, but do you think we ever see a day where people grow face replacements for cosmetic purposes?
posted by piskycritter on Apr 7, 2003 - 22 comments

Face transplant surgery appears to be nearing reality. A conference taking place this week will discuss the issue, which is not without controversy. How would you feel about a loved one who had been severely disfigured getting a new and different face? Would you be willing to donate your face after you had died?
posted by CoolHandPuke on Nov 27, 2002 - 32 comments

Man has replacement hand removed, now wants another one. Of course, he almost definitely will not get it, after annoying his doctors from the first operation. Still, I can't help thinking about a movie in which a man and his hand become "mentally detached".
posted by meep on Jan 14, 2002 - 10 comments