Connie Culp is America’s first patient to undergo full face transplant operation. She was shot in the face by her husband Thomas Culp four years ago. The gunshot blasted part of her face off leaving her with a gushing hole in the middle of her face. After she had lived with her deformed face for years, Connie Culp was given a face from a dead woman who agreed to donate part of her body.
Plastic surgeons from Cleveland Clinic took on the challenge of transplanting full face onto a woman – something that has not been done in this country before. And the results? Connie Culp is still a little stiff in her facial expressions, but she can talk, smell and taste again.
Connie Culp Story
Connie Culp was shot in the face by what was obviously a failed murder suicide. Her husband Thomas Culp took a shot at his wife and then turned a gun on himself. Both Connie Culp and the shooter survived. Thomas Culp was sent to jail for seven years.
The gunshot however deformed Connie Culp’s face to a point that kids would run away screaming in horror when she walked down the street. The bone structure of her face was severely damaged, she had no nose and the only way she could breathe was through tracheotomy. Her sense of smell was destroyed, as were her eating and drinking reflexes.
To deal with her deformed face, Connie Culp underwent several reconstructive surgeries but they delivered little results. But that all changed in December of 2008. Connie Culp went under the scalpel of plastic surgeons to receive a full face transplant. She got new facial skin, the whole bone structure underneath the skin, all facial nerves are new and so are facial muscles. Connie Culp also received new lower eyelids and palates.
The full facial reconstructive surgery of Connie Culp took 22 hours. 22 hours of hard work which resulted in successful face transplant. According to doctors, new facial nerves she got will slowly catch on and Connie will soon be able to show emotions. She’s already able to taste and smell again and can drink from the cup. Not to mention that she can breathe through her new nose and doesn’t need a hole in her throat anymore. But as Connie herself says, the biggest relief is that facial pain she was experiencing is almost gone.
After few months on her own, Connie Culp showed her face to the public. You can see the difference from the photos provided. It’s truly an achievement. Below is the video from the press conference with Connie Culp. It’s an inspiring video to watch and makes you appreciate what you have:
And a gallery of photos showing Connie Culp before and after the face transplant surgery.
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- Photo of Connie Culp After Face Transplant Operation
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- The Before and After Face Transplant Photos of Connie Culp
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- Connie Culp Was Shot in the Face by her Husband
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