What We Treat
Reconstructive transplantation is reserved for those patients in whom conventional plastic and reconstructive surgery is insufficient to produce acceptable results. Potential patients are those who have suffered massive loss of complex tissue, including hands, faces, abdominal walls and larynges, where prosthesis is either unavailable or insufficient to restore physical integrity and function. Reconstructive transplantation offers the possibility of restoring natural function to these patients, allowing them to regain daily living independence.
Am I a Candidate?
Cleveland Clinic's reconstructive transplantation team has expertise in several key areas:
Becoming a Patient
Patients interested in being considered for reconstructive transplantation at Cleveland Clinic are carefully screened for psychological health, family support, understanding of complications and medication compliance.
Success Stories
Team Introduces Face Transplant Patient
Cleveland Clinic surgeons performed the first face transplant in the United States in December 2008.
Last December, a multi-disciplinary team of doctors and surgeons at Cleveland Clinic performed the first near-total face transplant in the United States. A year later, the patient – Connie Culp of Unionport, Ohio – can smell, taste and breathe normally. She had lost those abilities after a shotgun blast destroyed the middle part of her face in 2004. Read More
Maria Siemionow, MD, PhD, and a team of 30 specialists made medical history in December 2008 when they performed the first face transplant in the United States. Read More
Researchers work to develop and deploy new methods for regenerating damaged bone, muscle and nerves. Read More
July 18, 2009
The widely publicized milestone of Maria Siemionow, MD, PhD, and colleagues was recently detailed in The Lancet. The article describes the rationale and innovative procedures for the “tailored composite tissue allograft” for the woman who became the first U.S. patient to receive a near-total (80 percent) face transplant. Read More