{"id":170592,"date":"2021-02-03T17:43:27","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T14:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/joe-dimeo-face-and-hand-transplant-recipient-reveals-results\/"},"modified":"2021-02-03T17:43:27","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T14:43:27","slug":"joe-dimeo-face-and-hand-transplant-recipient-reveals-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/joe-dimeo-face-and-hand-transplant-recipient-reveals-results\/","title":{"rendered":"#Joe DiMeo, face and hand transplant recipient, reveals results"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Joe DiMeo, face and hand transplant recipient, reveals results<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s a new day for Joe DiMeo. <\/p>\n

For the first time in history, doctors at New York University\u2019s Langone medical center have successfully undertaken a simultaneous face and bilateral hand transplant, giving DiMeo, 22, a future he never could have dreamed of three years ago after a devastating car accident. <\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Aug. 12, a team of more than 140 surgeons, nurses and other hospital staff were on hand during the 23-hour surgery.<\/p>\n

The most astounding aspect of the operation wasn\u2019t the well-orchestrated symphony of doctors. It was Joe himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always light at the end of the tunnel,\u201d Joe, from Clark, NJ, told The Post of his amazing transformation. \u201cNever give up and never let your app<\/a>earance slow you down. Always look at the good things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Joe
Joe DiMeo underwent a successful hand and face transplant at NYU Langone. He is now going public with the success of his operation, which took 23 hours.<\/span>NYU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joe\u2019s long road to recovery was led by Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, one of NYU\u2019s preeminent plastic surgeons.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis spirit is so strong,\u201d Rodriguez told The Post of Joe, who was involved in what should have been a fatal car accident in July 2018 after he fell asleep at the wheel. His car burst into flames. <\/p>\n

\"Before
Before the accident in 2018, Joe with his parents.<\/figcaption>
NYU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The odds were stacked against Joe, who underwent 20 reconstructive surgeries to address widespread third-degree burns that covered over 80% of his body. His injuries were extensive, including amputated fingers and severe facial scarring that left him without lips or eyelids.<\/p>\n

But since then, Joe has embodied the definition of a survivor. \u201cHe knew in his mind that this was not going to be the end of him,\u201d Rodriguez said. <\/p>\n

\"Joe
Joe was covered in burns on 80% of his body after the 2018 accident.<\/figcaption>
NYU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joe decided to go public with his story out of a sense of duty: \u201cI feel like it\u2019s a big step in science<\/a>,\u201d Joe said. \u201cI\u2019m pretty proud to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even after so many procedures to try to put him back together again, \u201che was still a functional cripple,\u201d said Rodriguez. In order to take the next step toward becoming an independent adult again, \u201cconventional surgery was not going to solve his problems.\u201d <\/p>\n

That\u2019s when the team at NYU\u2019s Hansj\u00f6rg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery decided to begin their search for Joe\u2019s donor match \u2014 a single candidate with not only a viable face and limbs, but a blood panel that wouldn\u2019t send Joe\u2019s highly sensitized immune system into rejection. <\/p>\n

Due to multiple blood transfusions and skin grafts immedia<\/a>tely following the accident, the probability of finding a compatible donor was down to a mere 6%. But a donor, who remains anonymous, arrived at NYU on Aug. 10, 2020. Two days later, Joe received his new hands and face.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s donor was fitted with replica parts thanks to three-dimensional photography and printing technology<\/a> provided by NYU\u2019s LaGuardia Studio, using a soft-silicone material that mimics human skin. \u201cIt looks so perfect,\u201d said Dr. Rodriguez<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite the fact that they\u2019re now declared deceased \u2026 we still respect the dignity of the donor,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s important for us to continue to care for the donor because that patient is still our patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team completed the 23-hour surgery at breakneck speed. They waited until now to announce the success of the operation, since often, many similar transplants don\u2019t go as well. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Rodriguez never lost hope, even while he was temporarily transferred to the pandemic front lines last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite the fact that our priorities changed, and we had to care for patients that were in dire straits, in the back of our mind [we] never stopped thinking about identifying Joe\u2019s donor,\u201d said Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

Over the past few months, Joe has made incredible strides, achieving small milestones all the time \u2014 getting dressed, walking the dogs, taking a shower \u2014 often right under his doting parents\u2019 noses.<\/p>\n

\"Joe
Joe says he\u2019s most looking forward to the freedom of driving. But already he\u2019s living a life far more independent than before.<\/figcaption>
NYU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe get surprised,\u201d said father John DiMeo, who described the shock of discovering his once-debilitated son grabbing food from the refrigerator on his own, or playing pool in the basement. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know that [happened] until we heard the balls banging around!\u201d he proclaimed, with a tone of both excitement and exasperation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In turn, his unstoppable progress keeps his parents energized, too. \u201cIt gives us power,\u201d said mom, Rose, who worked in childcare until she began caring for her son full time.<\/p>\n

Along with his son\u2019s dogged determination and self-discipline, John, who is also at home on disability, insisted that his wife Rose was key to Joe\u2019s recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe lucked out with having her for a mother,\u201d he told The Post. \u201c[She has] the patience of a saint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe agreed. \u201cShe\u2019s like my sidekick.\u201d<\/p>\n

His next big goal: driving again. <\/p>\n

\u201c[But] I\u2019m not trying to rush into it,\u201d Joe added. \u201cPlus the DMVs are closed \u2014 I can\u2019t change my license picture.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a more serious note, he insists that his new appearance hasn\u2019t changed him. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still the same guy, you know, before the surgery and after surgery,\u201d he said. \u201cEven before the burns I was still the same guy. Just my stages of life. I just keep rolling with the punches and keep moving on. Nothing really holds me back.\u201d\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“#Joe DiMeo, face and hand transplant recipient, reveals results” It\u2019s a new day for Joe DiMeo. For the first time in history, doctors at New York University\u2019s Langone medical center have successfully undertaken a simultaneous face and bilateral hand transplant, giving DiMeo, 22, a future he never could have dreamed of three years ago after…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/02\/face-transplant-wp-rail-thumb-nyp.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[91889,73401,28264,71453,72165,75546],"class_list":["post-170592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-2-3-21","tag-medical-breakthroughs","tag-new-jersey","tag-nyu","tag-plastic-surgery","tag-transplants"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170592\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}