'FIRST FACE TRANSPLANT' FOR CHINA!

A man who was disfigured after being attacked by a bear has become the first in China to have a face transplant, a hospital in the country has announced. Xijing military hospital in the central city of Xian said it had given the man a new cheek, upper lip and nose from a single donor, in a 14-hour operation. This would be only the second time the procedure has been performed anywhere. A woman in France made history last year when she become the first in the world to receive a face transplant. Isabelle Dinoire, 38, was given new lips, chin and nose last November after her face was mauled by her dog while she slept.

Xijing hospital said in a statement its surgery had been "even more complex and meticulous than the one performed by the French". The patient was identified as Li Guoxing, 30, a hunter from the Lisu ethnic minority in the south-western province of Yunnan, who was attacked by a bear two years ago. "Up to now, the patient is in good condition," the hospital said. "The operation was successful. It is predicted that the wounds can be healed within one week."

BBC NEWS REPORT.