First human tongue transplant a success

The world's first human tongue transplant has been carried out successfully by surgeons in Austria, it was reported yesterday.

The patient is a 42-year-old man who was suffering from a malignant tumour affecting both his tongue and jaw. During the 14-hour operation at the General Hospital in Vienna, a team of doctors removed the tumour and attached a new tongue.

The procedure has been done on animals, but it was the first time that a human being has been the recipient.

Dr Christian Kermer and Dr Franz Watzinger led a team of surgeons through Saturday's pioneering operation. The procedure was hailed a success and the patient remained in a "good condition", a hospital spokeswoman said.

At present, patients whose tongues have been amputated because of cancer or other diseases are offered the option of reconstructive surgery. But the procedure, which involves creating a tongue from muscle tissue removed from the back or abdomen, has limited success because the graft is difficult to achieve and the new organ suffers from limited mobility.

Doctors investigating the possibility of tongue transplants in the past have encountered problems because the mouth is continually filled with foreign and potentially infectious bacteria.

The most important question raised by tongue transplants was the level of mobility that could be achieved by implanting the donor organ, Dr Peter Rowe, chairman of the ethics committee of the British Transplantation Society, said.

"A lot of immuno-suppressant therapy would be required to promote acceptance," Dr Rowe said. "One would have to weigh up the benefits of a transplant with the various risks of suppressing the immune system."