Daughter overjoyed for face-swap father

America’s first full face transplant recipient said the first thing his young daughter said to him when she saw him after the operation was: “Daddy, you’re so handsome.”

Dallas Wiens sported a goatee and dark sunglasses when he joined surgeons at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in his first public appearance since the 15-hour procedure in March.

The 25-year-old, from Fort Worth, Texas, received a new nose, lips, skin, muscle and nerves from an anonymous donor.

The operation was paid for by the US military, which hopes to use findings from the procedure to help soldiers with severe facial wounds.

Mr Wiens’ features were all but burned away and he was left blind after hitting a power line while painting a church in November 2008.