The first partial face transplant took place in November 2005 in France.

CNN: Face transplant patient ready to go home

Doctors chose a woman who survived a shotgun wound to her face as the first recipient of a face transplant after treating her for nearly four years.

CNN: The story

In April 2010, a patient identified only as "Oscar" received the first ever full-face transplant in Spain.

CNN: Face transplant patient ready to go home

Connie Culp received the first near-total face transplant in the U.S. She was injured by a bullet in 2004 when her husband shot her.

CNN: Face transplant patients: Where are they now?

The woman who received the first-ever near-total face transplant in the United States told her doctor she has regained her self-confidence, said Dr. Maria Siemionow, head of plastic surgery research at the Cleveland Clinic and leader of the transplant team.

CNN: The story