Tongue Recipient Said to Be Doing Well

[VelvetBlade]

Tongue Recipient Said to Be Doing Well
1 hour, 41 minutes ago
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/my/my16.gifAdd AP - Feature Stories (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/addtomy/ap/od/*http://edit.my.yahoo.com/config/set_news?.add=usnodap&.src=yn&.done=http%3a//news.yahoo.com/%3ftmpl=story%26u=/ap/20030722/ap_on_fe_st/austria_tongue_transplant_2) to My Yahoo!By VANESSA GERA, Associated Press Writer VIENNA, Austria - A patient who doctors say is the first-ever recipient of a human tongue transplant was recovering Tuesday and showed no signs of rejecting his new organ, his doctors said. http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030722/thumb.1058878256.austria_tongue_transplant_vie102.jpg (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030722/168/4r6d6.html)
AP Photo (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030722/168/4r6d6.html)
The patient, a 42-year-old man who suffered from a malignant tumor on his tongue and part of his jaw, underwent a 14-hour operation Saturday in which doctors amputated his tongue and attached the new one. "The tongue now looks as if it were his own — it's as red and colorful and getting good blood circulation," said Dr. Rolf Ewers, the head of the team of nine physicians who performed the operation in Vienna's General Hospital. "The tongue is just slightly swollen," Ewers added. "That's also a good sign which means that probably no transplant rejection has begun." But the doctors also said that the patient, whose name was not released, could still face risks such as infection or rejection of the organ. He will have to take medication for the rest of his life to prevent rejection.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030722/ap_on_fe_st/austria_tongue_transplant_2

[Ahautenites]

Wow! That's neat!

I wonder, though.... will his taste preferences change because of the different taste buds?

[Tammy Sullivan]

ew

[Ahautenites]

From my standpoint, "ew" is what happens when you try to talk to someone who *doesn't* have a tongue. :)

[Tammy Sullivan]

excellent point, I didn't mean it to sound like that, it just kinda ..... I dunno.... excuse my ew....

[Gareth]

Or will he have any taste what-so-ever? Well food wise for that matter. Time will tell, cool that it can be done now.

[Semele]

Interesting, but still ew!!

Taste involves so much more than the tastebuds, but I bet it will be an improvement over the lack of taste before??

[Lanna]

ew

lol my first thought exactly!!

its cool tho, in a medical way, lucky man!

[Lai]

I think that it's very interesting. :D I hope that he continues to do well!