14 DAY TRIAL // A Chinese man, who had a partial face transplant after being attacked by a bear, is healing well, officials reported on Tuesday.
Li Guoxing, 30, received a new nose, lip and cheek from a brain dead patient, having his right side of the face reconstructed by doctors at the Xijing Hospital, from Xi'an city, on April 14. A hospital source described both the physical and mental condition of Li as "pretty good."
The hospital presented a video of the patient, recorded earlier on Tuesday, which showed that the sutures on Li's face have been removed and the swelling of his face has gone down. The man was shown eating eggs and steamed bread and listening as people chatted.
"Li's smile remains lopsided as the nerves on the right side of his face aren't functioning properly, but the left side of his face appeared to show his happiness", the media stated.
One of Li's doctors, Guo Shuzhong, said the transplants are 100% normal and that the patient is recovering faster than they expected.
Guo added that the patient will not leave his special side-room for 30 days to prevent possible infections. Doctors are waiting to see whether Li's body accepts or rejects the new tissue in the next two months.