Connie Caleb, the first American woman who had a face transplant, died at the age of 57 after 12 years of surgery, becoming the person who had lived the longest period after a major face transplant compared to two other cases, the first in France and the second in China.
Caleb had significant facial deformations in 2004 due to a bullet fired by her husband who was trying to kill her before he directed the weapon to himself, but he suffered less serious injuries, and was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison.
After the accident, Caleb performed 30 surgeries, and in 2008 she underwent a complicated 22-hour face transplant, during which 80% of her face was replaced.
While the cause of Caleb's death has not been announced, the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who was caring for her on Twitter, wrote: "We are sad for the loss of Caleb, the first person who underwent a face transplant in the United States. She was an inspiration to all of us in the hospital."
"Caleb has become the person who lives the longest after having a face transplant," said Dr. Frank Papay, the supervisor of the department of dermatology and plastic surgery at the hospital.
It is reported that the world's first face transplant took place on November 27, 2005 in France, and Isabelle Dinoire underwent a deformation of her face due to an attack by her dog. She died in April 2016 after returning to a rare malignant tumor.
On April 13, 2006, two-thirds of the face was transplanted to a farmer in China who had been attacked by a bear. He died in July 2008 after he stopped taking medicines intended for patients who underwent transplants and chose to treat traditional herbs.