Success of 'most extensive' face transplant is hailed

A 37-year-old man injured in a 1997 gun accident has been given a new face, teeth, tongue and jaw in what doctors say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed.

University of Maryland Medical Centre officials announced today that Richard Lee Norris is recovering well after last week’s surgery, beginning to feel his face and already brushing his teeth and shaving. He has also regained his sense of smell, which he had lost after the accident.