On November 27 was held a press conference dedicated to the unique operation-face transplantation. The conference was attended by Veronika I. Skvortsova, the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, Otari G. Khurtsilava,Rector of NWSMU named after I.I.Mechnikov  , Andrey N.Belski, Head of S.M.Kirov Military Medical Academy, Head of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of NWSMU named after I.I.Mechnikov, Maria A. Voloh, Associate Professor of the Department of Military Traumatology and Orthopedics of S.M.Kirov Military Medical Academy.

The Russian military officer, who underwent a partial face transplant operation at the S.M.Kirov Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg, got a serious electric shock 3 years ago. The operation was carried out six month ago but only now doctors have been able to declare about its successfulness. For skin transplantation were used multiplex tissue complexes comprising subcutaneous fat, muscles, cartlilage and bone tissue elements.

The only way of treatment was partial face allotransplantation from the deceased donor. In Russia there was no experience in complicated face transplant so the legal framework for transplantation was arranged by specialists from the Ministry of Health. Face transplant operation was preceded by meticulous work in
the field of legal support, experiments on cadaverous materials, immunology researches while animals hemifacial allotransplantations. Finding the right donor involved specialists from S.M.Kirov Military Medical Academy and NWSMU named after I.I.Mechnikov who succeeded in finding a candidate with suitable parameters - a man died from closed craniocerebral injury.

Today, doctors are sure that the operation was successful and the young man will be able to return to normal everyday life. During December patient undergoes plastic surgery after which he will be able to come back home. Now he is on transplant rejection therapy but his condition is good. In turn he warmly thanked the surgeons and talked about his plan for the future.