Turkey’s sixth face transplant patient dies

ANTALYA – Anadolu Agency

Üslün underwent surgery on June 16, when doctors began to notice signs of his health deteriorating following last year’s operation. DHA Photo

Turkey’s sixth face transplant patient died July 3 due to respiratory failure after an operation on removing facial soft tissue, Turkey’s Akdeniz University Hospital officials said.

Salih Üslün, 55, underwent a facial transplant operation in August 2013 when the organs of 31-year-old, Muhittin Turan, were donated by his family after being pronounced brain dead following a motorbike accident.

Üslün underwent surgery on June 16, when doctors began to notice signs of his health deteriorating following last year’s operation. Surgeons and medical consultants at the hospital decided to perform an operation on Üslün to remove a portion of the soft tissue from his face and to replace it with tissue from his thigh. Dr. Ömer Özkan from Turkey’s Akdeniz University Hospital, who carried out the operation, also operated on Turan. “We lost our patient yesterday at around 11:00 p.m. due to lung failure. We did everything we could [to save him], but we are very sorry [we could not save him],” said Özkan.

Salih Üslün’s son, Sedat Üslün, said his father was happy for 10 months after the operation.

“He lived with a healthy face for around 10 months … but his happiness did not last long. There is nothing we could do [at the end to help him],” said Sedat Üslün.