A woman has undergone complex face transplant surgery after developing a bacterial infection due to an insect bite in the Canary Islands. The individual, known only as Carmen, receivedthe life-altering gift from a woman who had requested euthanasia, with the incredible partial-transplant procedure taking place in Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona.

Speaking at a press conference, the medical team's coordinators noted that, due to the unique scenario, those involved were able to plan and utilise techniques like 3D software, which would have been impossible otherwise.

Carmen described how her face became disfigured after she suffered from a bacterial infection and sepsis due to a mosquito bite while she was on holiday in the Canary Islands.

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She said: "The bacteria made me want to disappear from this world. I was in three different ICUs, and when I came out, necrosis—tissue degeneration due to cell death—had eaten away half my face.

"I couldn't eat because I couldn't open my mouth. Half my nose was missing, and I couldn't breathe properly either. Physically, it was quite unpleasant, and I couldn't live my life."

Carmen underwent the procedure last year and is now receiving physiotherapy in an effort to restore her face's functions, as well as those linked to the face, aiming to be "completely well, fantastic" within one year.

In further heartwarming comments about her recovery, Carmen revealed that she was beginning to be able to eat again, talk, drink coffee, no longer minds "going out", and can "live a normal life".

Carmen, who did not meet her donor(this is due to Spanish law), also disclosed to journalists that she had "regained a quality of life" that she "never imagined" that she would see again.

Joan-Pere Barret, the head of the plastic surgery and burns unit at Vall d'Hebron Hospital, said: "We were able to sit down with the engineers and, using software models, we were able to plan the best options for reconstructing and adapting the bone structures to achieve the best possible function, up to the maximum match."

Dr Barret also noted that this type of procedure is "considered very complex", meaning there are "few worldwide" (reportedly just 54), pointing out that a transplant that "cannot feel or move" is "nothing more than a mask".

He added: "Face transplantation is not just about placing soft tissue to achieve a normal appearance. It is done to provide function and sensitivity.

"A face transplant that cannot feel or move is nothing more than a mask. These are three-dimensional structures with muscles and tissue that must be connected, often with a diameter of less than a millimetre."

In regard to the donor, Dr Barret explained that, upon requesting euthanasia, she expressed a desire to not only donate her organs, but also her face, and showed "great happiness" when she discovered that she could.

He also described the "tremendous emotional magnitude" of the moment, noting that he "never imagined" that he would experience a "moment like this", but was "fortunate enough to do so".

In total, a staggering 100 professionals from the hospital, ranging from psychiatrists to plastic surgeons, participated in the transplant, reports SIC Notícias.