The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has announced the launch of the country’s first dedicated face transplant programme, marking a significant expansion of advanced reconstructive surgical capabilities in India.
The initiative is being led by the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery, which has begun creating a registry of patients with severe facial deformities who may be candidates for the complex procedure.
Face transplantation involves replacing part of or the entire face using tissue from a deceased donor, with the goal of restoring essential functions such as speech, breathing, eating and facial expression in patients whose deformities cannot be effectively treated with conventional reconstructive surgery.
Specialists at AIIMS are preparing for future clinical procedures by conducting specialised cadaveric workshops and intensive surgical training for multidisciplinary teams that include plastic surgeons, ENT specialists, immunologists, psychiatrists and critical care experts.
The institute’s efforts are supported by international collaboration, including expertise from global centres of excellence, and involve structured preparation to ensure patient safety and procedural readiness. AIIMS officials have indicated that the first face transplant surgery could be performed within the next year, subject to regulatory clearances and the identification of suitable recipients.
Face transplants remain rare worldwide, with fewer than 100 such procedures reported to date. The new programme at AIIMS positions the institute at the forefront of high-end reconstructive surgery in India and offers a potential new treatment option for patients with devastating injuries from burns, trauma or other causes who have not benefited from multiple prior surgeries.
This initiative adds to AIIMS Delhi’s role as a leading medical research and treatment centre in the country, expanding the scope of care available to complex surgical patients.
