Spain's 1st face transplant patient can smile now

Hospital officials say Spain's first face transplant patient — the first anywhere to get a new tongue and jaw — has been so pleased by his new appearance that he smiled.

Surgeon Pedro Cavadas says the 43-year-old man, who underwent the surgery Tuesday at La Fe hospital in the eastern city of Valencia, may go home in about a week. The man lost part of his face more than 10 years ago due to radiotherapy.

Cavadas said the patient will need to learn to eat and speak intelligibly again after more than a decade of not being able to, but he saw himself in a mirror and was so happy he smiled.

Hospital officials said Saturday the patient, whose name has not been released, continued to make good progress.