CLEVELAND, OH — At 21, Katie Stubblefield was the youngest person to ever receive a face transplant. Years after a self-inflicted gunshot wound forever change her life, Stubblefield is closer to “blending in” then she has been since 2014.
Her journey started on March 25, 2014 in Oxford, Mississippi. Paramedics found Stubblefield there with severe injuries, after she had shot herself. They were startled to find she was alive, the paramedics began shouting that she had a pulse.
The single bullet that flew through Stubblefield had pierced her mouth and nasal cavity, before exiting her skull between her eyebrows. Somehow the bullet only grazed her brain tissue.
Initially, Stubblefield was flown by helicopter to a Level I trauma center in Memphis. When her parents, Robb and Alesia, arrived, their daughter was already in surgery.
“The surgeons were very matter-of-fact with us. No gloom and doom, but no peaches and cream, either. One of them – an elderly gentleman – said it was the worst case he’d ever seen,” Robb told the Cleveland Clinic.
When the surgeon spoke to Robb, he mentioned something strange…a “face transplant.” Robb had no idea what he was talking about.
Five weeks later, Robb would know more about face transplants than some medical professionals. That’s because in May 2014, Katie was flown to Cleveland and admitted to the Cleveland Clinic. The Stubblefields haven’t left the city since.
The Surgery
Dr. Brian Gastman, Katie’s primary plastic surgeon, met with the family on a Sunday. He brought with him a 3D imager. Robb and Alesia were able to literally look inside their daughter’s head.
While the ultimate goal was completing a face transplant for Katie, Gastman said the 21-year-old would first have to undergo several prepatory surgeries, including a jaw reconstruction.
Ultimately, Katie has had 17 surgeries at the Cleveland Clinic. She’s spent 1,100 hours in physical therapy, re-learning how to talk, re-learning how to move her face. More than 15 different medical specialties have been involved in her care.
In November 2015, Katie signed documents consenting to the surgery. She would have to wait another year-and-a-half before anything happened.
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The long wait was partially due to the difficulty finding a suitable donor. Katie was young and small. The donor pool for someone of her stature, of her demographic, was thin. “My biggest concern is getting her the right donor, one that is really appropriate for her,” Gastman months before the transplant.
While waiting for the right donor, Katie’s surgical team conducted numerous practice runs, trying to understand the ins and outs of an extremely rare surgery. The actual procedure would take 31 hours and would include 40 medical professionals. There was a lot to practice.
Then a donor was found. Katie was prepped for surgery and then went under. She quipped that it was her “longest nap ever.”
The actual surgery started on May 4 and continued until May 5. A team of 11 Cleveland Clinic doctors conducted the extensive, full face transplant. Their work included the transplantation of a scalp, upper and lower eyelids, eye sockets, nose, upper cheeks, upper jaw and half of lower jaw, upper teeth, lower teeth, partial facial nerves, facial muscles, and skin, the hospital system said. All of Stubblefield’s face was effectively replaced.
Throughout the 31-hour operation, doctors would come out and consult with Robb and Alesia. “I kept thinking, ‘What do we think Katie would have wanted to do?'” said Alesia.
In the end, the surgery was a success.
Life After a Face-Transplant
Roughly a year after her groundbreaking surgery, Katie’s body hasn’t rejected the transplant. That’s a good sign, Cleveland Clinic doctors said. Katie can now chew, breathe, and swallow better than she could before the surgery.
“I am forever grateful for the care this hospital has given me and continues to offer on my journey of recovery and healing,” she stated. “And to my donor and her family – words cannot express the appreciation I have for this incredible gift. With a grateful heart, I say thank you to all who have made this possible for me,” Katie said in a statement after her surgery.
To learn more about Katie’s journey, visit the Cleveland Clinic’s website.
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Photos and videos from Cleveland Clinic