Isabelle Dinoire
Encyclopedia
Isabelle Dinoire, born 1967, was the first person to undergo a partial face transplant
, after her Labrador dog mauled her in May 2005.
, northern France
, and she is the mother of two children.
According to The Australian
, she has signed a contract with British documentary maker Michael Hughes
.
in a suicide attempt
, and Dinoire wrote about her suicidal feelings in her own memoir. The hospital denied this. In a statement made on 6 February 2006, Dinoire said that "after a very upsetting week, with many personal problems, I took some pills to forget ... I fainted and fell on the ground, hitting a piece of furniture."
Dinoire's daughter reported that the family is sure that the dog, which was ordered to be euthanized, mutilated Dinoire by accident. They believe that the damage was caused when the dog, finding Dinoire wouldn't wake up, got more and more frantic, and began scratching and clawing her. Dinoire was "heartbroken" when Tania was forced to be euthanized and kept a picture of the Labrador by her hospital bed; she later bought another dog to aid in her recovery after surgery.
Dinoire's injuries affected her nose, lips, chin, and cheeks. She wore a surgical mask to cover the injuries on the lower part of her face, as the upper face was not affected.
Doctors and the media debated whether the donor and/or the recipient had attempted suicide, with reports stating that the donor had hanged herself. The family of the donor told the funeral director who handled the donor's death that the donor had an accidental death. Local French newspapers stated that Dinoire's daughter said that the mother attempted to commit suicide. Dubernard said that the recipient did not try to kill herself. Olivier Jardé
, an orthopedic surgeon from Ahrens
and a member of the French National Assembly, said that both the donor and the recipient attempted suicide. The Sunday Times
, a British newspaper, stated that Dinoire said via a telephone interview that she tried to commit suicide. In her 2007 memoir, Dinoire stated that the donor had killed herself, which "gave Dinoire a feeling of sisterhood" with the donor.
surgery on a living human was performed on Dinoire on 27 November 2005 by Professor Bernard Devauchelle
, assisted by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard
at the Centre hospitalier Universitaire Nord in Amiens
, France
. A triangle of face tissue, including the nose and mouth, was taken from a brain-dead female donor and grafted onto the patient. "Scientists elsewhere have performed scalp
and ear
transplants. However, the claim is the first for a mouth and nose transplant. Experts say the mouth and nose are the most difficult parts of the face to transplant." Dinoire was also given bone marrow
cells to prevent rejection of the tissue. Exactly one year following the partial face transplant, Dinoire stated she had the ability to smile again. On 28 November 2006, Dinoire's surgeon, Bernard Devauchelle
, said that over the past year Dinoire’s scars had become far less prominent.
There has been a change in her appearance. Her original face had a wide, tilted nose, a prominent chin and thin lips. The donated face has given her a straight and narrow nose, a smaller chin and a fuller mouth. In 2008, Dinoire admitted in an interview that she sometimes struggles to accept the appearance of her transplanted face, as she had expected it to look more like her own, saying: "It takes an awful lot of time to get used to someone else's face." In the same interview, she reported that full sensitivity had returned to her face.
The Associated Press
released a picture of Dinoire on 28 November 2006, one year after the operation. The French newspaper Le Mondes website explained on 2 December 2006 that the Associated Press had eliminated the picture, because "The hair of Isabelle Dinoire and the background of this image were manipulated by the source."
For the two-year anniversary, her doctors published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine
detailing her operation and recovery. Complications have included kidney failure and two episodes of tissue rejection (one after one month and one after one year), which have been suppressed by drugs. Dinoire will have to take the drugs for the rest of her life. A Boston doctor said if she stopped taking drugs, her scenario would be a "disaster", with the new face sloughing off over time. Part of her pre-operative screening included psychological evaluations to ensure she would be capable of maintaining her treatment regimen and also could accept and withstand the effects of having a dead person's face grafted onto her own.
Face transplant
A face transplant is a still-experimental procedure to replace all or part of a person's face. The world's first full face transplant was completed in Spain in 2010.-Beneficiaries of face transplant:...
, after her Labrador dog mauled her in May 2005.
Personal life
Dinoire lives in ValenciennesValenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
, northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and she is the mother of two children.
According to The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
, she has signed a contract with British documentary maker Michael Hughes
Michael Hughes
Michael Eamon Hughes is a retired Northern Irish footballer who currently is a majority shareholder and co-owner of IFA Premiership side Carrick Rangers .-Club career:...
.
Mutilation incident
Dinoire's dog "chewed her face after she passed out from an overdose of sleeping pills." Some reports following the initial surgery claim that her daughter said that the black Labrador cross (named Tania) was "frantically" trying to wake Dinoire after she took sleeping pillsSleeping pills
Sleeping pills may refer to:*Hypnotic, a drug used to induce sleep*Sleeping Pills , an American film by Michael Lauter...
in a suicide attempt
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, and Dinoire wrote about her suicidal feelings in her own memoir. The hospital denied this. In a statement made on 6 February 2006, Dinoire said that "after a very upsetting week, with many personal problems, I took some pills to forget ... I fainted and fell on the ground, hitting a piece of furniture."
Dinoire's daughter reported that the family is sure that the dog, which was ordered to be euthanized, mutilated Dinoire by accident. They believe that the damage was caused when the dog, finding Dinoire wouldn't wake up, got more and more frantic, and began scratching and clawing her. Dinoire was "heartbroken" when Tania was forced to be euthanized and kept a picture of the Labrador by her hospital bed; she later bought another dog to aid in her recovery after surgery.
Dinoire's injuries affected her nose, lips, chin, and cheeks. She wore a surgical mask to cover the injuries on the lower part of her face, as the upper face was not affected.
Doctors and the media debated whether the donor and/or the recipient had attempted suicide, with reports stating that the donor had hanged herself. The family of the donor told the funeral director who handled the donor's death that the donor had an accidental death. Local French newspapers stated that Dinoire's daughter said that the mother attempted to commit suicide. Dubernard said that the recipient did not try to kill herself. Olivier Jardé
Olivier Jardé
Olivier Jardé is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the Somme department, and is a member of the New Centre.-References:...
, an orthopedic surgeon from Ahrens
Ahrens
Ahrens is a German surname which may refer to:Persons* Adolf Ahrens , German captain and politician * Adolf Ahrens , German politician and mayor of Delmenhorst...
and a member of the French National Assembly, said that both the donor and the recipient attempted suicide. The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, a British newspaper, stated that Dinoire said via a telephone interview that she tried to commit suicide. In her 2007 memoir, Dinoire stated that the donor had killed herself, which "gave Dinoire a feeling of sisterhood" with the donor.
Partial face transplant
The first partial face transplantFace transplant
A face transplant is a still-experimental procedure to replace all or part of a person's face. The world's first full face transplant was completed in Spain in 2010.-Beneficiaries of face transplant:...
surgery on a living human was performed on Dinoire on 27 November 2005 by Professor Bernard Devauchelle
Bernard Devauchelle
Dr. Bernard Devauchelle is a French oral and maxillofacial surgeon. He is best known as the first surgeon to successfully complete the first face transplant in November 2005 at Amiens University Hospital.- References :...
, assisted by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard
Jean-Michel Dubernard
Jean-Michel Dubernerd is a medical doctor specializing in transplant surgery, as well as a former Deputy in the French National Assembly.Dr...
at the Centre hospitalier Universitaire Nord in Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. A triangle of face tissue, including the nose and mouth, was taken from a brain-dead female donor and grafted onto the patient. "Scientists elsewhere have performed scalp
Scalp
The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly.-Layers:It is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic:...
and ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
transplants. However, the claim is the first for a mouth and nose transplant. Experts say the mouth and nose are the most difficult parts of the face to transplant." Dinoire was also given bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
cells to prevent rejection of the tissue. Exactly one year following the partial face transplant, Dinoire stated she had the ability to smile again. On 28 November 2006, Dinoire's surgeon, Bernard Devauchelle
Bernard Devauchelle
Dr. Bernard Devauchelle is a French oral and maxillofacial surgeon. He is best known as the first surgeon to successfully complete the first face transplant in November 2005 at Amiens University Hospital.- References :...
, said that over the past year Dinoire’s scars had become far less prominent.
There has been a change in her appearance. Her original face had a wide, tilted nose, a prominent chin and thin lips. The donated face has given her a straight and narrow nose, a smaller chin and a fuller mouth. In 2008, Dinoire admitted in an interview that she sometimes struggles to accept the appearance of her transplanted face, as she had expected it to look more like her own, saying: "It takes an awful lot of time to get used to someone else's face." In the same interview, she reported that full sensitivity had returned to her face.
The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
released a picture of Dinoire on 28 November 2006, one year after the operation. The French newspaper Le Mondes website explained on 2 December 2006 that the Associated Press had eliminated the picture, because "The hair of Isabelle Dinoire and the background of this image were manipulated by the source."
For the two-year anniversary, her doctors published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine
New England Journal of Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicine is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It describes itself as the oldest continuously published medical journal in the world.-History:...
detailing her operation and recovery. Complications have included kidney failure and two episodes of tissue rejection (one after one month and one after one year), which have been suppressed by drugs. Dinoire will have to take the drugs for the rest of her life. A Boston doctor said if she stopped taking drugs, her scenario would be a "disaster", with the new face sloughing off over time. Part of her pre-operative screening included psychological evaluations to ensure she would be capable of maintaining her treatment regimen and also could accept and withstand the effects of having a dead person's face grafted onto her own.
Images
- Preoperative, premauling image of Isabelle Dinoire
- Post-mauling, pre-transplant image of Isabelle Dinoire
- Postoperative image of Isabelle Dinoire
- Immediately postoperative image of Isabelle Diniore compared with one year later
