烧伤消防员进行历史性的面部移植手术

Burned Firefighter Gets Historic Face Transplant 烧伤消防员进行历史性的面部移植手术

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

A hospital in the United States says a volunteer firefighter has received the most extensive face transplant on record.

Forty-one-year-old Patrick Hardison received a new face in what is being called an “historic” surgery. The surgery took place at New York University’s Langone Medical Center.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez led the team of 150 medical personnel that performed the 26-hour transplant surgery. Rodriguez told reporters that the operation is critically important for two reasons.

"The procedure that was performed on Patrick is critically important in that number-one, we transplanted functional¹ eye lids, which is important for the preservation² of Patrick's vision. Secondly³, the amount of tissue that was transplanted had not been transplanted before."

The Washington Post reported that a grant from the NYU medical center paid for operation. The hospital estimates the surgery cost between $850,000 and $1 million.

Hardison waited a year for the perfect donor⁴. The perfect donor would have not only a matching blood type, but fair skin and hair.

The donor’s face is from a 26-year old New York bicycle mechanic and cyclist. David P. Rodebaugh was pronounced brain dead after a biking accident in late July. Doctor’s declared him dead on August 14.

Two hours after the donor’s death, a team of doctors operated on the recipient⁵, carefully removing Hardison’s face. Another team worked on the donor.

A nonprofit organization called LiveOnNY seeks transplant organs and tissue in the New York City area. This organization identified Rodenbaugh as a possible donor. He had signed up to donate his organs.

A spokesperson for LiveOnNY said Rodenbaugh’s mother gave permission to use his face. She noted⁶ that her son had always wanted to be a firefighter.

The accident

In 2001, Patrick Hardison was a 27-year old firefighter in Mississippi and father of three children. He entered a burning house to save a woman when the roof fell on him. He suffered third-degree burns on his head, neck and upper torso.

Hardison lost his ears, lips, most of his nose and nearly all of his eyelids⁷. To protect them, doctors covered his eyes with pieces of skin. This left only a small hole for him to see out of. He was almost totally blind.

His face was one big scar. When he went out into public, he told Fox News, people would stare. He tried to stay positive. But, he said, life was hard. He has had a total of 71 surgeries.

Now, Hardison has working eyelids, ears, a full head of hair, as well as eyebrows⁸ and facial stubble, said his surgeon.

Hardison said his new face has already made a huge difference when he goes outside. He told Fox News that he used to get stared at all the time. Now, he said, he is just an average guy.

Hardison is still recovering from the surgery. He will have to take drugs his entire life to fight infections from the transplant.

But he plans to be home in time for Thanksgiving. The former firefighter now has five children, two of whom have not seen their father’s face until now.

Words in This Story

extensive – adj. large in size or amount : very full or complete

transplant – medical : to perform a medical operation in which an organ or other part that has been removed from the body of one person is put it into the body of another person

recipient – n. a person who receives something

plastic surgery – n. surgery that improves or repairs the form or appearance of body parts

critical – adj. extremely important

third-degree – adj. causing severe injury

positive – adj. thinking that a good result will happen : hopeful or optimistic

1 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

2 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

3 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

4 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

5 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。