A team of Cleveland Clinic plastic surgeons made history in December, 2008 when they performed the world's first near-total face transplant. The patient was an Ohio woman, Connie Culp, 44, who'd been shot in the face by her estranged husband five years earlier. A few months later, Culp was recovered enough to show off her new face at a news conference, but she still must endure follow-up surgery and a lifetime of anti-rejection drug therapy. Dr. Siemionow led the surgical team that performed the December operation. She speaks with Mr. Feagler about the challenges of preparing for a near-total face transplant and the challenges remaining for a patient who yearns only to look normal again. They also discuss the life journey that brought Siemionow from her native Poland to Cleveland where she's now achieved worldwide acclaim. She's written a book about her professional experiences entitled Face to Face.
