00:00Acid attack and burn victims may soon get a new lease of life as Ames New Delhi is preparing
00:05to carry out India's first face transplant.
00:13For some survivors, the battle has already meant a decade of surgeries, 10 or 12 attempts
00:17to reconstruct what flames, acid or bullets destroy. And yet, many are still unable to
00:23blink properly, smile naturally, eat without difficulty or step into public spaces without
00:28fear of judgement. Reconstruction can repair parts, but sometimes it cannot restore a face.
00:34That's where this program steps in. A face transplant replaces severely damaged facial
00:38tissue with that of a diseased donor to restore poor human functions – breathing, speech,
00:43eyelid closure, expression. The surgery itself is painstaking. It can last up to 16 hours with
00:49surgeons reconnecting tiny nerves and blood vessels under a microscope. And the operation is only the
00:54beginning. Patients will need lifelong immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection
00:58along with constant monitoring. Finding a donor is complex. The match must be the same sex with
01:03broadly similar skin tone. Families must consent within hours of brain death. Ethical clearances
01:09and transplant coordination leave little room for error.
01:36AIMS has brought together surgeons, nephrologists, psychiatrists and rehabilitation experts for this
01:42episode.
01:42International experts say the Institute's skill set and infrastructure are on par with global
01:48standards. Only a handful of countries, including the United States, France, Turkey and Spain,
01:53perform face transplants. With this step, India is preparing to join them.
02:09For survivors living with severe disfigurement, this isn't about vanity. It's about identity,
02:14expression and dignity restored.
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