Doctors grow real nose on woman's hand and transplant it to her face

A woman who lost her nose after battling cancer got a new nose she grew on her arm, the Daily Mail reports.

The French resident, whose name has not been released, was diagnosed with nasal cavity cancer. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy in 2013. As a result of the grueling treatment, the French woman lost a large part of her face, including her nose.

Even before the organ was removed, doctors made a replica from 3D-printed biomaterial. It was stored at a low temperature for several years. This year, technology finally made the transplant possible. First, the nose was implanted under the skin on the woman's forearm. Here, blood vessels sprouted into the implant. Two months later, the nose was implanted in the patient's face.

Cervico-facial surgeons from the University Hospital of Toulouse and the Claudius Rego Institute used sophisticated techniques to connect the blood vessels on the arm to those on the face. The surgery was successful, and the patient got a new nose. After that, she was on antibiotics for three weeks.

The 50-year-old patient reported that with the new nose she breathed better and was even able to smell her garden. She will need another surgery to restore sensitivity to the organ.

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