A Michigan man, Derek Pfaff, has undergone a life-changing face transplant, a decade after surviving a suicide attempt.
The procedure, performed earlier this year at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, was announced on Tuesday.
The intricate operation lasted over 50 hours and involved a team of more than 80 healthcare specialists. Thanks to the groundbreaking surgery, Pfaff, a 30-year-old from Harbor Beach, can now blink, smile, and breathe through his nose for the first time in nearly a decade.
Previously, he had endured 58 reconstructive surgeries but continued to face significant challenges, including difficulty speaking, breathing, and eating, as well as a missing nose and an inability to blink with his one remaining eye. He also relied on a feeding tube. The transplant has restored many of these lost functions, significantly improving his quality of life.
Reflecting on the procedure, Pfaff shared on the Mayo Clinic’s website, “This surgery has transformed my life. I feel so much more confident.”
