Face Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery Andrew Burd  Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery  Volume 60, Issue 11, Pages 1173-1174 (November 2007) DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2007.09.010 Copyright © 2007 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 Delegates of the Chinese 9th National Congress of Plastic Surgery held at Changsha, Hunan province on 23rd September 2007 were delighted to hear consecutive presentations from the two surgeons leading the world's first and second facial transplants. It was a true East meets West occasion. Professor Bernard Devauchelle (on the right), from Amiens in France, delivered a superlative lecture which underlined not only the humanity driving his surgical team but also the sophistication of the planning of the procedure and the assessment of the evolving outcome. The need to reconstruct the donor face with a prosthetic implant was planned at the outset and the results were remarkable. This is an important consideration when counseling relatives of prospective donors. In the follow up of the recipient the mapping of the cortical integration of the new implant was fascinating. Professor Guo Shu-zhong (on the left), Chief of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the 4th Military Medical Hospital, Xian, led the team which performed China's first and the world's second facial transplant in April of 2006. He gave a detailed overview of the immunological challenges and present solutions of transplantation and showed the impressive results from replanting, nose, lips and cheek in a male patient. Amongst the many wonderful pictures in both presentations there was a single image in each which symbolized the differences and similarities in humanity and cultures: Professor Devauchelle presented a view taken from behind his patient showing her looking into a mirror and both we and she can see her new face looking out. It was a particularly poignant image and whilst Professor Guo also showed his patient looking in a hand mirror at his new face, the most touching image from his presentation showed a very old lady reaching up to touch both sides of the patient's face whilst they look into each others eyes. Is this symbolic of the Western self-affirmation and the Eastern social-affirmation of identity? Remarkable presentations from two pioneering surgeons. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 2007 60, 1173-1174DOI: (10.1016/j.bjps.2007.09.010) Copyright © 2007 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons Terms and Conditions