WASHINGTON — A woman who was severely burned in a domestic violence attack in Vermont may have to undergo another face transplant. After doctors discovered tissue damage, her current donor face could become a total loss.
According to the Associated Press, in 2007, Carmen Blandin Tarleton, 51, was burned over the majority of her body when her estranged husband poured lye over her after beating her with a baseball bat.
According to the Associated Press, since her face transplantation in 2013, Tarleton has had repeated rejection episodes with her donor face swelling up and turning red.
“Even though this has happened, I have no regrets,” Tarleton told the Boston Globe. She says, “I had such a low quality of life prior to my face transplant. Do I wish it had lasted 10 to 20 years? Of course.’’
The Boston Globe reports that Tarleton’s doctors emphasized that transplants have limited life spans. Face transplantation is still considered experimental with many unanswered questions. The long-term risks are still not entirely understood.
If Tarleton's facial tissue dies quickly, doctors may be forced to remove the original donor tissue and reconstruct her original face, according to the Boston Globe.
She told the Boston Globe that's the scenario she fears most.
More than 40 patients worldwide have received face transplants, including 15 in the United States, according to the Associated Press.
