The man becomes the oldest person to receive a face transplant

For seven years, Maurice Desjardins lived in excruciating pain after a hunting accident severely disfigured his face. At age 65, he became the oldest person to have had a facial transplant, which allowed him to resume simple activities like chewing his food. The National Post.

The Canadian was disfigured in a 2011 hunting accident that damaged his facial nerves, muscles and bones. A team of nine surgeons and 100 medical staff, led by Dr. Daniel Borsuk at Montreal's Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, completed the remarkable 30-hour operation. The procedure was five years, while the Borsuk team planned, practiced and waited for a suitable donor to be able to transplant the face of one man over another.

The hospital performed the operation in May, but announced it Wednesday.

"This delicate operation is the result of years of concerted and meticulous work by an incredible team and the incredible bravery and cooperation of the patient and his family," said Mr. Borsuk at the # 39, a press conference. CBC News.

To perform this complex procedure, a group of surgeons removed the face of a recently deceased donor. It took 12 hours. At the same time, another group of surgeons removed Borsuk's face, leaving only his eyes, upper eyelids and forehead – a 17-hour process, The National Post reported.

Their efforts gave Desjardins the only thing he wanted the most: spending time with his granddaughter without the eyes of strangers.

"Already, he leads a more normal life," Borsuk said at the press conference. "He comes to visit me every week and in the waiting room, no one looks at him.They always looked at him (but now), he's only another face in the crowd."

Desjardins was hospitalized for two months before being transferred to a rehabilitation facility. Before the operation, Desjardins had undergone five reconstructive surgeries, but was still unable to eat, breathe or smell The Press. Now, the 65-year-old grandfather is able to swallow, chew and even smile. He is still unable to speak, but he is relearning the job, according to CBC News.

Desjardins will take immunosuppressive medication to reduce the risk of his body rejecting the transplanted face.

The first complete partial facial transplant was performed in France in 2005, according to Royal Free London. Since then, 40 partial or complete grafts of the face have been performed worldwide.