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For those who have lost a part of their body either through illness or after being involved in an accident, plastic surgery offers not only the hope of repairing any physical damage but also restoring self-confidence. One phenomenal case of life-altering plastic surgery currently receiving a lot of attention here in Asia is that of a surgeon in China who is growing a replacement nose on the forehead of a man who lost his during traffic accident.

The restoration process involves cultivating a new nose on the patient’s forehead and then transplanting it onto the area where the old nose once was. The man’s new nose has been grown to include all the features that you would normally expect, from the nostrils and nasal bridge to the mucous membrane inside the nose itself.

The man, from Quanzhou, Fujian province, is believed to have been quite the looker prior to his tragic road accident, and elected to have the new nose grown on his forehead so that it would appear as natural as possible and help restore him to his former handsome glory.

  • Conventional plastic surgery just wasn’t an option

After reviewing the man’s case, conventional plastic surgery was deemed out of the question due to the severity of the damage. The man’s surgeon suggested that a completely new nose be cultivated on his forehead and transplanted when it had fully grown. After losing his nose, the man had become prone to allergies and even suffered from asthma. He was also struggling to come to terms with his new physical appearance, and had even developed hyperventilation syndrome. This was the first time the man had heard of such a procedure but, putting his trust in the surgeon, he decided to take the plunge.

  • The steps involved

1.) First an area of skin on the man’s forehead was stretched.

2.) Next, the cartilage that would form the structure of the nose was transplanted onto his forehead. In this case, cartilage from one of the man’s ribs was used.

3.) Next, an artificial membrane, complete with its own blood supply, was transplanted onto the area. Both nostrils were then opened.

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Reaching the end of stage three took a total of nine months and the man is currently in the final stages of surgery wherein his new nose will be made more aesthetically pleasing and finally transplanted from the forehead and onto where it belongs. At the present time, despite looking in every way identical to a normal nose, the newly grown sniffer is firmly attached to the man’s forehead and serves no anatomical purpose. The patient wears a hat and mask when going anywhere in public but admits, “I can’t wait for the day when I can do away with the mask and breathe normally.”

If everything goes according to plan, that day might just be around the corner! Cultivating cells from the body in this way reduces the possibility of the patient’s body rejecting the transplanted tissue, but to cultivate a nose on your forehead clearly requires not just the body to support it but also quite the mental resolve.

Below is an illustration of the steps involved, with the fourth and final step being the reconstruction of the cultivated nose.

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There’s only a little way to go before the surgery is complete, and we here at RocketNews24 hope that the final stages go smoothly!

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If you’re feeling brave, why not check out the video below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLTKTP7Nxeg

Video/top image: YouTube
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