The Facial Graft: A Graft of Emotions? (About the Reanimation of the Facial Allotransplantation)

Bernard Devauchelle; Stephanie Dakpe; Sylvie Testelin

doi:10.1016/j.cxom.2022.11.001

The Facial Graft: A Graft of Emotions? (About the Reanimation of the Facial Allotransplantation)

Atlas Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2023 Mar;31(1):57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.cxom.2022.11.001.

Authors

Bernard Devauchelle¹, Stephanie Dakpe¹, Sylvie Testelin²

Affiliations

¹ Departement of Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital of Amiens Picardy; Research Unit, UR7516 CHIMERE, University of Picardy Jules Verne; Institut Faire Faces.
² Departement of Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital of Amiens Picardy; Research Unit, UR7516 CHIMERE, University of Picardy Jules Verne; Institut Faire Faces. Electronic address: testelin.sylvie@chu-amiens.fr.

PMID: 36754507
DOI: 10.1016/j.cxom.2022.11.001

Abstract

Although there have been numerous scientific papers reporting on composite allotransplantation of the face, few have been about assessment and evolution of the functional benefit for patients in terms of soft tissue mobility, movement coordination, and face expressions, even fewer on the choice of the surgical procedures to restore motricity. On some videos and interviews, it is possible to analyze significative motricity. Of course that has been voluntary motricity, not emotional motricity. The data confirmed that the result on the complexity of the expression of the face is not great, providing opportunity to reflect on the question of nerve regeneration.

Keywords: Face transplant; Functional restoration; Transplant innervation.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Emotions
Facial Expression
Facial Paralysis* / surgery
Facial Transplantation* / methods
Humans
Plastic Surgery Procedures*