James Boysen (Photo : Facebook)
A cancer patient had the world's first skull-scalp transplant from a human donor, in order to treat a big head wound. The historic surgery repaired the head section that had been damaged due to cancer radiation treatment.
The Texas transplant surgery lasted for 15 hours and required over 50 medical employees, according to The Australian. It was the first of its kind.
The reason was due to the source of the donor, and since it involved a facial tissue and organ transplant. In addition, the skull and scalp transplant was not a simple bone graft or an artificial transplant.
James Boysen, the surgery patient, suffers from a rare type of cancer. The May 22 medical procedure replaced the top of his skull and scalp, and the pancreas and kidney he received in his 1992 double-organ transplant surgery.
The 55-year-old Austin software developer said that he was shocked by the success of the scull-scalp transplant, which was announced on Thursday. He also noted that he will have "way more" hair than when was 21 years old.
Boysen was diagnosed in 2006 with a type of cancer called leiomyosarcoma, which causes tumors in muscle tissue. He also developed diabetes at the age of five.
When Boysen received his cancer treatment, his immune suppression drugs did not allow his body to fix the treatment's damage, according to The Telegraph. This worsened his condition.
Dr. Jesse Selber, the lead surgeon, said that Boysen's condition was a unique clinical situation that made the "complex transplant" possible. The complexity was due to its microsurgery.
The transplant procedure involved linking blood vessels 1/16 of an inch (1.5 mm) by using stitches half a human hair's diameter. Surgeons used tools resembling those for a high-precision Swiss watch.
Houston Methodist Hospital first had the surgery's concept four years ago. However, the donor organs were not available until last month.
The Texas hospital discharged Boysen on Thursday, two weeks after his skull-scalp transplant. He is "forever grateful" to have the chance to reunite with beloved activities and people.
