Chimp attack victim has face transplant

BOSTON (AP) - The Connecticut woman who underwent a full face transplant at a Boston hospital more than two years after she was mauled and blinded by a chimpanzee is looking forward to eating normal food again and going out in public without covering her face, her brother and doctor said Friday. 

"She will eventually be able to eat a hamburger, something she said was very important her, having only had pureed food since her injury, and I think we can all relate to that," Dr. Bohdan Pomahac said.

A 30-member surgical team under the leadership of Pomahac at Brigham and Women's Hospital performed a full face and double hand transplant on Charla Nash late last month, but the hands failed to thrive as she struggled with pneumonia and were removed. But overall, her recovery and future look excellent, Pomahac said.

Nash's was the third full face transplant in the U.S. Her skin, underlying muscles, blood vessels and nerves were replaced along with her hard palate and teeth. Over the next several months she will develop more control over facial muscles and more feeling, letting her breathe through her nose and develop her sense of smell. She remains blind.

Her brother Steve Nash later said his sister wants to enjoy hot dogs and a slice of pizza from their favorite pizza parlor in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., the town where they spent their childhood.

While the loss of her transplanted hands was disappointing, Pomahac said she could undergo another hand transplant in the future. He said her left arm was replaced at the mid-forearm. Her right hand was replaced at the wrist, except for the thumb, which was all she had left after the February 2009 attack. The right hand replacement was "technically challenging," he said, because a partial transplant had never been done.

Several days after the operation, Nash developed pneumonia and suffered a drop in blood pressure, which compromised blood flow to the hands. Doctors eventually had to remove the transplanted hands.

Charla Nash will also be able to go out in public without feeling self-conscious, Pomahac said. She had to skip her only daughter's high school graduation last spring because she was concerned that she would become the center of attention.

"We know it broke her heart," Pomahoc said, pausing to control his emotions. "I think her new face will allow Charla to be present when Briana graduates from college in a few short years."

"To us she is not a woman who was mauled by a chimpanzee, to us Charla is a courageous and strong person who inspired the team to do everything possible," says Pomahac.

Steve Nash, fighting back tears, called the operation "miraculous." ''We are confident Charla will gain her goal to regain her health and independence in the future," he said.

"We thank the donor and her family for giving Charla a new face and hands. We mourn the loss of your loved one and share in your sadness. Thank you for your precious gift and God bless you," says Stephen Nash.

The name of the donor was not disclosed to maintain her family's privacy.