Barcelona hospital completes landmark facial transplant after assisted-dying donation

A hospital in Barcelona issued a statement on Monday to announce that it had carried out a groundbreaking facial transplant, marking the first time worldwide that a donor had chosen to donate her face prior to undergoing an assisted dying procedure.

The operation involved the transplantation of composite tissue from the central area of the face and was described as highly complex, requiring the involvement of around 100 specialists. According to the renowned Vall d’Hebron Hospital, the medical team included psychiatrists, immunologists and other experts.

Elisabeth Navas, the hospital’s transplant coordinator, said the donor had demonstrated ‘a level of maturity that leaves one speechless’.

‘Someone who has decided to end their life dedicates one of their last wishes to a stranger and gives them a second chance of this magnitude,’ Navas said.

The recipient, identified only as Carme, had experienced severe facial tissue necrosis following a bacterial infection triggered by an insect bite, which left her unable to speak, eat or see properly.

‘When I’m looking in the mirror at home, I’m thinking that I’m starting to look more like myself,’ Carme said at a press conference on Monday, adding that her recovery was progressing very well.

In facial transplant cases, strict compatibility is required: donor and recipient must be of the same sex, share the same blood group and have a similar head size.

Spain, which has a population of 49.4 million, has been a world leader in organ transplantation for over 30 years. In 2021, it became the fourth European Union country to legalise euthanasia.

Vall d’Hebron has carried out half of the six facial transplants performed in Spain to date and was also responsible for the world’s first full face transplant in 2010.

A hospital spokesperson declined to disclose the exact date of the surgery for privacy reasons but Spanish media reported that it took place in the autumn of 2025.

According to Health Ministry figures, around 6,300 organ transplants were carried out in Spain last year, with kidney transplants accounting for the largest share.