Facial Transplantation in a Blind Patient: Psychologic, Marital, and Family Outcomes at 15 Months Follow-Up

Long‐term psychosocial outcomes after face transplantation: a patient's and a partner's perspective

“…Further, they indicate that similar benefits may be found in the partners of face transplant patients. The partner in our study has not reported any psychologically distress from the transplantation (Lemmens et al ., ). It is likely that the good preoperative psychosocial stability of both partners, their high motivation and compliance with the treatment and rehabilitation programme and the good surgical outcome have contributed to these results (Diaz‐Siso and Rodriguez, ; Lantieri et al ., ).…”

“…Further, the patient showed no psychiatric disorder at follow‐up. These findings are not only in line with previous research indicating that face transplantation is well tolerated and psychologically beneficial for patients, even when they are blind, but they also add that these effects remain stable over a longer period after transplantation (Chang and Pomahac, ; Coffman et al ., ; Coffman and Siemionow, ; Khalifian et al ., ; Lemmens et al ., ; Roche et al ., ). Further, they indicate that similar benefits may be found in the partners of face transplant patients.…”

“…Both the patient and his partner were asked to complete a battery of self‐reports at baseline and two, three and four years after face transplantation. The baseline assessment, which was part of the screening protocol for face transplantation, took place three months after the facial trauma (Lemmens et al ., ). Further, the research protocol prescribed annual follow‐up assessments up to five years after surgery.…”

“…Digitally planned facial VCA was performed one year after the facial trauma. Details of the surgery, rehabilitation, postoperative course and outcome have been extensively described elsewhere (Lemmens et al ., ; Roche et al ., ; Roche et al ., ; Van Lierde et al ., ). This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ghent University Hospital.…”

Longitudinal progress of overall intelligibility, voice, resonance, articulation and oromyofunctional behavior during the first 21 months after Belgian facial transplantation

“…After three months the frequency of therapy sessions was reduced to three times per week. The patient was intrinsically motivated to follow speech therapy and his partner functioned as a co-therapist (Lemmens et al, 2014). During logopaedic therapy sessions, the patient was given corrective feedback after every assignment to improve or correct specific productions, using auditory-verbal instructions as well as tactile stimuli.…”