Cameron underwood returned to Golf, restoration of cars and including jumps in the sky, less than in 3 years subsequently such as received a gunshot wound which strong damaged his personality and practically carried away his life.

Underwood, who is currently 26 years old, survived without much of his own lower jaw, teeth and nose, and with important impaired vision, speech and mouth function subsequently to his injury in June 2016. But only through 18 months, the inhabitant of California has become the second situation, NYU Langone Health recipient transplantation of the face and one in the range of 40 around the world-a remarkably quick trip, which, in his lyrics, gave him “a second chance at life.”

"Two years ago, I do not believe, in fact, that we had any idea about the face transplant, in fact that it was including possible,”-talks underwood TIME. "I certainly feel like myself [now]. Any time I look in the mirror, I see myself. I see my own eyes and my own personality. It's all increasing on me, for example to state.”

The results of the underwood case go beyond his personal situation. The new York Institute believes, in fact, that underwood was the 1st in the USA face transplant surgery will be covered by paid insurance-a significant milestone that has the ability to mean more patients own access to life-changing surgery in the future, talks to G. Leslie Bernstein, admin of the face transplant program of the new York Institute.

"Any time when the insurance company subscribes to the adoption of a fresh, successful in the likeness of the action, we trust, and we have seen in the past, in fact that it opens the door for the largest number of patients, these as Cameron, in order to find support, where they in an unpleasant case had the opportunity to think, in fact that they have no options," - says Bernstein. Within thirty percent of the approximately $ 1.5 million USA in medical expenses underwood were covered by insurance; gaps were filled by philanthropic and grant funding, talks Bernstein.

Between advances in insurance and medical technology, doctor Eduardo Rodriguez, a plastic surgeon at the new York Institute who oversaw underwood's care, talks, in fact that the expectation is that the actual face transplant will quickly be a “worldly operation.”

Progress is absolute. The new York Institute has managed to reduce underwood's recovery time-he spent only 37 days in the clinic, compared to the 62-day presence of the first patient of the new York Institute-and took advantage of 3D surgical planning and the press to arrange his surgery between the most seamless and technologically advanced yet, exceeding including Rodriguez's expectations. “I only believe in fact that it will continue to improve, and Cam are considered to be evidence of that", - he speaks.

Underwood's trip started later such as his mother noticed in the magazine People the situation of a different face transplant done at the new York Institute, and contacted the clinic. Soon subsequently this, Rodriguez and his team have begun the immense physiological and mental evaluation in order to ensure the fact that underwood is an excellent choice for surgery, especially considering his previous struggle with depression.

"His life was in an absolute pause, full of paralysis, [without a face]," Rodriguez talks. "The goal was to get him out of free fall as soon as we could.”

They did it. Just over 6 months later such as underwood went to the list waiting for a transplant, new heard from the LiveOnNY network of donors, in fact that William Fisher, a 23-year-old resident of Manhattan, who at one point died, has the opportunity to be a coincidence. He was. Just a number of days through underwood flew to New york, amidst a snow storm, in order to get an operation that will change his life.

In the 25 hours direction, Rodriguez and his team removed the giant parts of Fisher's skull and face, and following that, with support for 3D-printed cutting guides and surgical intentions, took advantage of them to reconstruct underwood's jaw, teeth, gums, mouth, lower eyelids, cheeks, nose and nasal passages. New York Institute has made and attached a 3D-printed copy of Fisher's face, so that his family had the opportunity to say goodbye and own the probability to perform the funeral with the coffin is not closed.

Rodriguez talks, in fact that the achievement shows a fascinating future in facial reconstruction: the possibility of bioengineering the active person, in a set with hair follicles, sweat glands and blood vessels, and not to trust the donor material.

"The challenge would be that we would actually be able to bioengineer a person with CT scanning technology. Everything is possible to print, in order to be so accurate," says Rodriguez. “This is the ultimate goal. I'm trying to see it in my own life. I give myself a 10-year term.”

Until then, however, Rodriguez talks, actually that he wants to do better face transplantation for the benefit of these patients, as underwood, who did not lose time, enjoying their own fresh views, including jumping into the sky less than a year later surgery.

"The face transplant has the ability to withstand 15,000 feet in the air. Everything adheres together" - ironically Rodriguez. ""Who lives and prepares what he likes. This is an exceptionally gigantic appreciation they have ever had the opportunity to give.”

With own side, underwood is talking, that actually are eagerly waiting for the return to normal life. His goal, he talks, for example not really stand out from anyone's.

"Go back to work, start a family," he talks, " and go from there.”