Spanish hospital claims 1st full face transplant

MADRID (AP) - A hospital in Spain says it has carried out the world's first full-face transplant.

The Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona said the patient, a young man, was given an entire new face, including skin, jaws, chin, nose, cheeks, teeth and muscles in a 24-hour operation performed in late March by a 30-member medical team.

The hospital said the patient lost his face in an accident five years ago and has since had to breathe and be fed through tubes.

It said in a statement released late Thursday that there have been 10 partial face transplant operations carried out in the world so far but this is the first involving a person's whole face.