The Lady Programmer

Do you remember the movie “Face Off”? I’ve watched that movie several times years ago and I find that a very good movie indeed. Castor Troy (played by Nicolas Cage) who plays the role of a terrorist switches faces with an FBI agent (played by John Travolta). The face transplant has just become a reality, according to the news I first saw today at Chicago Tribune.

The recipient of the face transplant is Connie Culp, who lost the midsection face from a gunshot in 2004. Her old gunshot face wasn’t a pretty sight.

Connie Culp wearing her new face

The face transplant done to Connie Culp was not as perfect as the one done at the movie and there wasn’t any swapping of faces. The face came from an unknown dead donor. However, I agree this is another major breakthrough in medical technology. Her new face is still far from those “normal” faces seen around, but at least she can now face the world.

Connie Culp before and after surgery

The cost of the procedure was estimated to be at $300,000 to $400,000 and does not include the other expenses associated with the extended care that her new face needed for that transplant surgery.

Connie Culp before the 2004 gun shot

Here’s more of this face transplant from these news sites:

• Chicago Tribune
• Wall Street Journal
• Wikipedia – detailed history of the face transplant procedure

13 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

1. Blogjoints.com | Rate this Article
   May 6th, 2009 at 9:43 am #

   Connie Culp Gets a Face Transplant | Programmer Web Developer | Web Designer Freelance…

   Connie Culp gets a new face through the face transplant procedure from an unknown (dead) donor. Her face isn’t still perfect, but she’s looking and feeling better now….

2. 

   chubskulit
   May 6th, 2009 at 11:04 am #

   Oh my goodness, that’s too bad.. She is very beautiful then… Too expensive procedure, I’d rather die I believe lol..

   I love Face Off movie too…

   chubskulit´s last blog post..USAnniversary

3. 

   elmot
   May 6th, 2009 at 3:16 pm #

   not as fancy and exciting than the movie face-off. the cost maybe is too expensive but losing one’s face is more expensive when you are carrying all your days a torn self-esteem.

   elmot´s last blog post..Manny Pacquiao’s New Feat Buffer for Political Ambition?

4. 

   Calvin
   May 6th, 2009 at 3:22 pm #

   she looks like a certain character in southpark now.

   Calvin´s last blog post..American Idol 8 Top 4 Recap and Prediction

5. 

   slavezero
   May 6th, 2009 at 10:31 pm #

   Good for her she has money to support her “face off” operation.

   slavezero´s last blog post..How to Protect yourself against Conficker Worm

6. 

   slavezero
   May 6th, 2009 at 10:33 pm #

   I rather look like one of south park characters than to forever look like a Predator character

   slavezero´s last blog post..How to Protect yourself against Conficker Worm

7. 

   MJ Ces
   May 7th, 2009 at 12:13 am #

   I did watch ‘Face-Off’ years ago and my thought back then was that it was incredible (using the original meaning of that word).

   I just thought that it would be impossible to swap faces, but with this news I guess it is not. We’re getting there, as they say.

8. 

   Gem
   May 7th, 2009 at 8:53 am #

   And we’re already there.. I did not expect this “face-off” thing will happen too soon.

9. 

   Gem
   May 7th, 2009 at 8:55 am #

   One of the articles (Wall Street Journal) mentioned that some of the money came from donors – mostly doctors.

10. 

    Edwin Sanchez
    May 8th, 2009 at 10:20 am #

    I hope she’s doing well today after that tragedy. Technology is making fiction a non-fiction after many years. I hope it makes her feel a little better.

11. 

    out of the blue
    May 8th, 2009 at 8:14 pm #

    i just saw her on tv this morning being interviewed bi diane sawyer. while she was talking tears were running on her face and she said she cannot feel them so diane had to wipe it for her. incredible story.
    happy weekend.

12. 

    Feron
    May 10th, 2009 at 5:51 am #

    well we may say that medical science has played its role… but still far from perfection considering the cost of it!

    Feron´s last blog post..A YEAR HAD PASSED!

13. 

    Millionaire Acts
    May 11th, 2009 at 9:54 am #

    I do hope we do have more advanced technology to settle these kinds of problems in the future. I just hope that she feels better now than before just like what others have said.

    Millionaire Acts´s last blog post..How to Become a Millionaire