First face transplant patient in US, Connie Culp, dies aged 57
The cause of death is currently unknown, but Culp had been hospitalized for several days. She was the longest living face transplant survivor.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFDoctors perform surgery [illustrative].(photo credit: REUTERS)
Connie Culp, recipient of the first ever face transplant in the US, has died on Thursday at the age of 57 in Cleveland, Ohio, local NBC News-affiliate WKYC reported.The cause of death is currently unknown, but Culp had been hospitalized for several days. She was the longest living face transplant survivor, WKYC reported.Culp received the transplant following an incident in 2004, where she was shot in the face by a shotgun by her husband in a failed murder-suicide attempt. Four year later in 2008, after having already undergone 30 surgeries to repair the damage, Culp went through a 22-hour operation, where 80% of her face was replaced with one from a deceased donor.Since then, she had begun speaking out about domestic violence and her experience with the surgery. In addition, Culp's surgery paved the way for further research into the process and reducing rejections. Since her surgery, there have been approximately 40 others worldwide, WKYC reported.It is possible her death was due to years of immunosuppressive drugs she had taken for the surgery weakening her body, a risk among transplant survivors, WKYC reported.
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![Doctors perform surgery [illustrative]. (photo credit: REUTERS)](https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/q_auto/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/253933 "Doctors perform surgery [illustrative].")