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Spain's regional health authorities have given permission for Dr Pedro Cavadas to attempt pioneering facial transplant surgery at Valencia's La Fe Hospital.

The operation, which has only ever been performed three times before, has been described as "a complex, experimental process," by Rafael Matesanz, the president of the National Transplant Organisation, which has also given its approval.

It seems that there are two possible candidates - a man and a woman, disfigured by disease and burns, respectively - and that the transplant will only cover a small triangular area below the eyes.

It is expected that the surgery will be performed towards the second half of this year or during the first six months of 2009, depending on donor availability.

The first operation of this type was performed in France on Isabelle Dinoire in 2005, and has since been followed by a second operation in France, and one in China.