National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-05-19
REcoNsrRUorING A FACE.
Extraordinary Success In tho Trans
plantation OF FIcsh--A Girls Patience.

plantation OF EIcsh-A GlrDs Patience
New YorE Herald.
Bertha Kstler, who for eighteen months
has been under treatment by DIR. George +.
Shrady, visiting surgeon Of the Presbyterian
hospital left the institution yesterday q
living, grateful monument Of surgical in
genuity and skill. Bertha Kistler Is now
about 90 years old, and fifteen years ago she
was treated by an unskillful surgeon In Ger.
many for supposed cancerOus growth in tho
left cheek. The aliment proved TO be Of
another character, but the operation destroyed
all symmetry of tho child's face, leaving
large hole in the cheek, and the mouth and
nose frightfully distorted. Eighteen months
ago the girl called on DIR. Shrady to discover
il anything could be done to remedy tho
doformity
sho was only poor working girl, but
begged to 70 to the hospital and pay for treat
ment by work. DR.. Shrady held out little
encouragement to her, but at last consented
to undertake tho task of building up virtually
now countenance. Soon after the first
operation was performed, and in tho course
of a year it was followed by sixteen others
Most of the face was made over by transplant
tation of flesh from adjacent parts
The most important step in the treatment
of the case was tho filling up of the hole in
tho face. For this purpose q large skin flap
in the following manner A rectangular Sec
ton Of skin was partially separated from the
girls left arm above the elbow. An incision
was made in the side of the forehnger of tho
right hand, extending from the first Joint
around to tho thumb Tho hand was then
brought over to tho loft arm, and the de-
tached edge of the skin flap was sowed into
the incision in the finger with fine silver wire.
The hand and arm were kept immovablo by
plastic bandages. In about week the skin
flap became united to tho hand, but tho
flap was principally nourished from tho arm.
To change tho current of nutrition tho flap
was gradually cut from the arm, and when it
had been nearly severed the finger, and not
tho arm, kept the skin flap alive. When this
became apparent the entire skin flap was
amputated from tho arm. Tho hand, with
the ingrown flap was then brought up to the
face. the Scared skin on tho left cheek raised
and the flap was inserted underneath. Tho
hand was kept in position by plastic band
| ages and plastic cap. In three weeks tho
flap became attached to the face; tho current
of nourishment was changed by gradual am
putation from,the finger, and finally, when
entirely separated from tho hand, the skin
| flap taken from tho arm became the founda-
| tion of u new check.
| With natural anxiety DR.. Shrady watched
the growth of the flesh, and at last had the
satisfaction of demonstrating Individually
the feasibility Of transportation Of flesh from
| ono part of tho body to another by using the
hand as o medium. Now difficulties then
arose. The surface of the face was rehabili-
tated, but tho girls mouth was drawn out OF
shape to such ON extent that the corner was
almost directly under the nose.
| To restore tho mouth DIR. Shrady decided
to enlarge it on one side and sew it up on the
other, and after this was done the lips wore
cut into tho true and proper shape, and ali
traces of distortion had disappeared. With
the success of this last operation, which made
twenty in all, the labor was ended, and
I nothing was left but to await the healing o.
tho incisions. These have at last becom,
satisfactory and the girls face is shapely once
more, but, of course, slightly disagured BY
scars. Most of these however, are from
straight, clean cuts, and it is expected tina
even they will eventually become imper
ceptible.
From the first moment of her long martyr
dom the girl has not faltered for an instant
but has even been impatient for tho mex
step. Sometimes tho doctor would try I,
persuade her to forego for time tho opera
ton, but she persisted in her desire. A
singular feature of the case Is that, notwith
standing tho suffering she must have eXpe
rienced, she has grown very fat. She ha
been constantly tho recipient of flowers
wines, and delicacies of various kinds from
people who, though strangers to hor, have
become interested in her singular and re
markable patience.