Face transplant patient on course to smile once again After 15 years of wearing a mask and living as a recluse, a 37-year-old Virginia man disfigured in a gun accident has been given a new face, nose, teeth and jaw in what doctors at the University of Maryland say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed. Richard Lee Norris is recovering well after last week's surgery, beginning to regain feeling in his face and already brushing his teeth and shaving.