Hospital transforms woman's life through face transplant

Song Cuiying still can’t believe the miraculous transformation on her face. The dream of living a normal life has finally come true after more than four decades.

Song claims she has had to live with people’s cruel jibes for years, but now says that thanks to doctors, she can live a more normal life.

Song Cuiying, who underwent a face transplant, smiles at the Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Sept 2. [Photo provided to chinadaily com.cn]

She is referring to a world-class face transplant conducted at the Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital two years ago, when surgeons practically grew a new face on the body of the seriously disfigured woman.

Song's facial deformity stems from a 1973 domestic accident in the rural county of Ruanlin, Hunan province, when as a two-year-old she somehow fell into an open fire and suffered severe burns to her face.

Her family managed to save her life, but deep facial scars were left, marking the start of a quest to try and normalize her appearance.

Optimistic as she is, the hope of finding a solution was always hampered by financial strains as well as insufficient medical expertise nationwide.

Her life changed on March 12, 2014, when the Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital approved her admission and performed the so-called "Chinese-style facial transplant" at no cost.

Surgeons examine Song Cuiying prior to her face transplant surgery. Photo taken in October 2015. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The doctors first removed certain blood vessels from Song’s leg to build two small vessel nets and transplant them – one on her upper chest and the other atop the head – to grow a new face.

They then used water-filled balloons to expand the skin. This helps the skin grow stronger and stimulate the growth of blood vessels.

It usually takes six to eight months to grow the skin. In Song’s case, the doctors carried out another two repair operations in October and November 2015, in order to complete the transformation.

The first such surgery was performed by a medical team at the Shanghai No 9 People’s Hospital in 2012. There are no official figures on how many such surgeries have been carried out since.

Tan Xiaoyan, president of the Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital speaks during an interview with China Daily on Sept 6. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The surgery is ground-breaking in the Chinese medical community, outperforming the popular allotransplantation in the West, in which doctors transplant the face from another individual to a patient, according to Tan Xiaoyan, president of the Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital.

“Patients of allotransplantation are prone to many risks including rejection and infection, which lowers the surgery’s success rate,” according to Tan, commenting on the benefits of the Chinese procedure.

Taking the lead

The exterior of the Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital in downtown Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital, based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, boasts an excellent reputation. Established in 1985 and staffed by 120 medical experts, it is among just a few hospitals nationwide capable of conducting a facial transplant.

From May 12 to 14 this year, the hospital hosted a large-scale symposium on rhinoplasty, inviting more than 1,000 doctors to observe a raft of on-site surgeries, over a full-day at the hospital.

A medical symposium where doctors perform rhinoplasties live is held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, May 12. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The hospital not only stands out for its proficiency, but also its reputation for charity.

In 1991, it partnered with Operation Smile, an international medical charity aimed at providing free surgeries for children in developing countries with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Under the program, a crew of elite surgeons from across the world visited Hangzhou every year, stayed 7 to 10 days and performed surgeries, which, according to Tan, opened a door for China to advance its medical skills.

“Our doctors watched and learned while assisting in those operations,” she said.

A child with cleft lip lights up at the Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As well as teaching their surgical skills to their Chinese counterparts, the American doctors also imparted a message about power coming with serious responsibilities.

Influenced by Operation Smile, the hospital offers dozens of cleft lip and palate surgeries for children from all parts of the country, every year, free of charge.

The hospital is now also a designated place for breast reconstruction surgery, endorsed by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development.

From time to time, it exempts financially-stretched patients from hefty medical fees. Song Cuiying, for instance, did not have to pay the 1.5 million yuan ($225,000) charge for her three surgeries.

"Our intention is simple. We just want to give back to the community and contribute to society as best as we can," said Tan.