"VIS MEDICATRIX NATURAE"
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Sunday, April 25, 2010

A new face after transplant.

Saturday, April 24, 2010.World's First Full Face Transplant in Spain - Full Surgery Video





  A hospital in Spain announced that it had carried out the world's first full-face transplant. The Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona said the patient, a young man, was given an entirely new face, including skin, jaws, chin, nose, cheeks, teeth and muscles. It said the 24-hour operation was performed in late March by a 30-member medical team.

In a statement on Friday, the hospital said the patient lost his face in an accident five years ago and has since been unable to swallow, speak, or breathe properly, and had to breathe and be fed through tubes. Speaking on Friday during a news conference at the hospital, Doctor Joan Pere Barret, who led the medical team that carried out facial transplant, said the patient asked to look in a mirror one week after the surgery, "and he reacted very calmly and with satisfaction" and in writing said "he said he was very grateful and satisfied." Dr Barret said that the man "absolutely does not look like a donor patient."

Barret declined to name the patient or give details of the accident in which the man lost most of his face, saying only that he was a Spaniard between 20 and 40 years old and was recovering well. The man cannot yet speak, eat or smile, but can see and swallow saliva, the surgeon said. The patient underwent psychiatric tests before the operation to determine if he would be able to confront having a totally new face, the hospital said. He is expected to remain hospitalised for two months.

Other transplant experts lauded the surgery but were not sure it could technically be called 'full-face.'

In Britain, the UK Facial Transplantation Research Team called the Spanish operation "the most complex face transplantation operation there has probably been in the world to date." It stopped short, however, of calling it the world's first full-face transplant. Barret said the operation involved removing what was left of the man's face and giving him a replacement "in one piece."



Barret said there have been 10 partial face transplant operations carried out in the world so far but that this is the first one involving a person's whole face. The world's first partial face transplant was carried out on a Isabelle Dinoire in France in November 2005. The 38 year old divorced mother of two received a new nose, chin and mouth from a brain-dead donor after being mauled by her pet Labrador. The 15-hour operation took place at the Amiens Teaching Hospital.

Face transplant: Computer generated image, Vall d'Hebron  University Hospital 

Face transplant: Computer generated image, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital
Face transpant images showing the squence of the procedure:  Computer generated images, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, via  DailyMail.co.uk 

Face transpant images showing the squence of the procedure: Computer generated images, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, via DailyMail.co.uk
'Before' image captured by MRI of man whose face had accidentally  been shattered: ©AP via DailyMail.co.uk

 Dr. Joan Pere Barret lead the team of surgeons and other medical personnel involved in two separate operations. First, the donor face had to be removed and placed in preservation liquids - not just the lips, cheek and forehead, but all of the veins, arteries, muscles, skin and subcutaneous fat attached to them. In the middle of this 4-hour process, the recipient was prepared for surgery, after making sure that things were going well with the donor's procedure.
Then began the really long surgery on the recipient, involving both the retrieval team and the transplant team. Once the repair work was completed on the donors blood vessels, they were attached by microsurgery to the patient's own. Then the donors bones, muscles, and connecting nerves were transplanted, before the donor's facial skin was sewn on.
The first face transplant patient will remain in the hospital for two more months to insure that his body will not reject the transplant. That is the main reason that prior partial face transplants have not been successful in the past. But this patient has seen his new face and, though he is unable to talk yet, he is reportedly pleased with it.
Doctors say that the recipient will not look exactly like the donor, but will look somewhat like the donor and somewhat like himself.
Doctor Peter Butler, a British surgeon who has been waiting for a donor in Britain to carry out his first facial transplant, congratulated the Spanish team, saying that the lives of millions of people will be benefitted by this technology. In acknowledging the importance of this work, Dr. Butler showed enormous empathy for facially disfigured persons.
"Their quality of life is indescribably poor and many seldom leave their homes. They live an almost twilight existence, hiding in shadows and afraid to expose themselves to unforgiving public scrutiny.... If facial transplantation is successful, it will be the first option offered to those who live in that awful twilight zone, and not the last. It will give them the opportunity to once again walk along a street in broad daylight with nobody noticing."
Isabelle Dinoire
The woman who underwent the world’s first face transplant raised serious ethical questions about the pioneering operation today.
It comes as British medics prepare to carry out a similar procedure.
Isabelle Dinoire admitted that, exactly three years on from the medical breakthrough, she remained uncertain as to whose face she looked at in the mirror every day.

Isabelle Dinoire 

Medical breakthrough: Isabelle Dinoire who underwent the world’s first face transplant.

Referring to the dead donor, Miss Dinoire said: ‘It’s not hers, it’s not mine, it’s somebody else’s.’
Miss Dinoire, a 41-year-old divorced mother of two from northern France, added: ‘Before the operation, I expected my new face would look like me, but it turned out after the operation that it was half me and half her.’
Suggesting that she had not yet worked out her new identity, Miss Dinoire said: ‘It takes an awful lot of time to get used to someone else’s face. It’s a peculiar type of transplant.’
Such psychological difficulties will concern British medics from the Royal Free Hospital in London who, two years ago, were given permission by the NHS ethics board to carry out the world's first full face transplant.
Surgeons have been transplanting livers, kidneys and hearts for many years, but faces have always been different.
They are seen as a sacred, untouchable parts of a person’s identity.
Unlike other organs, face transplants are not life-saving operations. As a result, ethical committees frequently blocked them from going ahead.
But transplant surgeon Jean-Michel Dubernard said after carrying out the operation: ‘Once I had seen Isabelle's disfigured face, no more needed to be said. I was convinced something had to be done for this patient.’
Isabelle Dinoire


New identity: Miss Dinoire has raised ethical questions about the pioneering operation on her face
Miss Dinoire, from Valenciennes, northern France, was given a new nose, mouth and chin at the nearby Amiens Hospital in November 2005.
She was rushed to hospital after her pet dog apparently ripped off the vital features.
Miss Dinoire herself had no memory of what happened.
After taking sleeping pills, all she could remember was waking up with blood on the ground.
When she tried to light up a cigarette, she realised her facial features were missing.
In spite of some early signs of immune rejection, Miss Dinoire soon regained sensation back in the transplanted face.
Rejection of the new tissue was brought under control by increasing the doses of immunosuppressant drugs, which Miss Dinoire is still taking.
Miss Dinoire made her latest comments in an exclusive interview with journalist Vanessa Pontet on ‘Reporters’, a programme about face transplants which will be broadcast on French channel NT1 tomorrow.
Despite her worries about the identity of the new face, Miss Dinoire admits that, technically at least, ‘it’s mine’, adding ‘it’s part of me.
‘I have the feeling of looking at something beautiful, I accept looking at myself now, but it was wasn’t easy at the beginning.’
She said she had ‘lots of physio to reactivate the muscles, and everything is back to normal as far as sensitivity is concerned.
Saying that face transplants should not be a taboo subject, Miss Dinoire said: ‘it’s important to get people to think about it because it completely changes your life.’



1. OBESITY surgery,
2. The MERMAID GIRLS,
3. FACIAL TUMOR (Neurofibromatosis),
4. A NEW FACE AFTER TRANSPLANT,
5. Blind man sees through tooth.
6. 31 fingers and toes


Previous post,
.




Friday, April 16, 2010

STOMP. This band plays: brooms, poles, basketballs and bins.


The amazing sound of non regular instruments. Don't miss this...


Brooms..


More:



.

Over a period of one week, the cast of STOMP goes through quite a few "instruments," in addition to some other things that keep the show running:



Previous post,

Friday, April 9, 2010

Pineberries. Or if you prefer: Strawapples.



The newest fruit:

The PINEBERRIE.
A summer berry that looks like a white strawberry but tastes like a pineapple is going on sale in Europe this season.
The pineberry is white, covered with red seeds and has the same genetic make-up as a strawberry, but has the taste and smell of a pineapple.
About seven years ago the pineberry was taken from its native South America and grown commercially in glasshouses by the Dutch. Like strawberries, they're green until they ripen, but instead of turning a deep, juicy red, these fruits turn white with little red seeds.

The fruit flesh can range from soft white to orange and is very fragrant with a slight pineapple flavor. The plant is disease resistant, but is not very profitable. Due to small-scale farming, small berry size and low yield crop, the Pineberry has been marketed to European restaurants, bakeries and wholesale markets. They aint cheap either, a 100 gram would cost you some 7 euros. Nicki Baggott, fruit buyer for Waitrose UK, which is launching the white fruit at selected stores this month, said the berries would add a ­surprising twist to summer ­desserts.





They join other unusual recently introduced fruits such as the strasberry, which looks like a cross between a strawberry and a raspberry. ( left the strawberry, right the strasberry) Other 'halfbreeds': the pluot ( pluot is a hybrid of the plum and the apricot),

and the grapple ( grapefruit/apple)


Previous post,
.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

When I was in the movies....


  FILMOGRAPHY


 Bert Spoor aka Berto Spoor aka Bert E. Spoor de Rave



(23 credits)

 1990Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection
Delta Force Soldier
 1990Demonstone
Soldier 
 1989Indio
Softball Team Member  
 1989Return from the River Kwai
Benford's Soldiers 
 1989Above the War
Soldier 
 1988A Dangerous Life (TV Mini-Series)
Reporter (Press)
Episode #1.2 (1988) ... Reporter (Press)
Episode #1.1 (1988) ... Reporter (Press)
 1987Hamburger Hill
Soldier 
 1987Equalizer 2000
Lawton's Men 
 1986Platoon
Soldier 
 1986Silk
Musgrave
 1986Women of Valor (TV,  Movie)
Medic-POW 
 1986The Devastator
Thug 
 1986Opposing Force /Hellcamp
Guard
 1986Behind Enemy Lines/Attack Force NAM
Pilot (Medic Helicopter)
 1985Black Fire
Bad Guy
 1985American Ninja
Bodyguard
 1985Blood Debts
Bad Guy / Robber 
 1984Missing in Action
Soldier 
soldier

                                            Ninja's Force                                          1984
Customer Scuba shop/ Ninja
 1983Juramentado
Rebel

*****

*****

Stories, pictures, links to clips and 
Full Movies..! Scroll down.
(Movies in G-albums require a Google account sign in )

 

 1. Juramentado 1983 or  YouTube 

 2. Ninja's Force 1984 
 3The Firebird Conspiracy 1984

 4. Hellcamp aka Opposing Force (also in Daily Motion)1984 (rel. '86)  

 5. Missing in Action 1984
 6. The Devastator aka The Destroyers aka Kings Ransom 1985
 9. Blooddebts aka Eliminator 1985
 10. Behind Enemy Lines aka Attack Force Nam aka POW the Escape 1986 (Daily Motion)

11. Equalizer 2000 1986
12. SILK 1986
13. Women of Valor 1986  
14. Platoon 1986

16. A Dangerous Life The 4 day Revolution 1987
20Above the war!  aka The B-team 1989 or (1/2 & 2/2 Daily Motion
21. Born on the 4th of July 1988/89  

22. Deathstone aka Demonstone aka Heartstone 1989
23. Deltaforce 2-The Colombian Connection 1989/90 


***  FILMS  ***

 

1. Juramentado, 1983
  Full movie (click here) 
(2 hrs) with:
 Ramon Revilla, Karim Kiram, Jesse Ramos, Leopoldo Salcedo, Rosemarie Sonora, Tessa Tuazon, Johnnie Wilson, Paul Vance, Steve Rogers, David Light, Robert Marius*, Bert Spoor
Dir: Efren C Pinon
Juramentado, in Philippine history, refers to a male Moro swordsman who attacked and killed targeted Christian police and soldiers, expecting to be killed himself, the martyrdom undertaken as an unorthodox form of personal jihad. Unlike an amok, who commits acts of random violence against Muslims and non-Muslims alike, a juramentado was a dedicated, premeditated, and sometimes highly-skilled killer who prepared himself through a ritual of binding, shaving, and prayer in order to accomplish brazen public religious murder armed only with edged weapons.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/juramentado#ixzz3XpfhEksD

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113594002597590518952/albums/6116787976439909777/6116787986477403778
*****
2. The Firebird Conspiracy, 1984 
  Full Movie (5/5), with:
 Steve Rogers ( for Bruce Baron ), Jesse Ramos, Joonee Gamboa, Vic Dias, Dick Israël, Willy Williams, Paul Vance, Nick Nicholson*, Pita Wittle, Peter Walker, “crazy” Willy Moralez *, Bert Spoor. Puzon Prod. ,Pio Lee
Dir. June Gaillardo* / Vittorio Romero

The war in Vietnam reaches its bloody climax. Against this background, the superpowers hunt for a secret document on microfilm that, when it got into the wrong hands, could destroy the world. Captain Beck of the US Navy is instructed to bring the South Vietnamese Agent Van Tuyen and his family safely across the border to Thailand. The Pentagon, the White House and the CIA suspected that Van Tuyen, has the documents in his possession...


Part 1/5


part 2
part 3
part 4
part 5

and:
Clip: The Execution
(00:45 sec)
 
 

*****

3. Hellcamp  
aka Opposing Force, 1984
 with: 
Tom Skerit, Richard Roundtree, Anthony Zerby, Lisa Eickhorn,
James Gaines, Warren Mclean, Steve RogersHenry Strzalkowski,
Willy Williams , George Cheung, Bill Kipp, Steve Cook, Roy Batiwala
Renato Morado, David Light,  Berto Spoor. eo.
Dir. Eric Karson
Full movie (click here)

The commander of an Air Force camp simulates prisoner-of-war, however conditions for realistic training goes too far, creating all too real torture situations. He prays on the only woman in the experiment.
https://plus.google.com/photos/113594002597590518952/albums/6068984348049677745/6068984361212151010
David, Richard, Bill and me.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27qq7j_opposing-force-hellcamp1_

*****
4. Missing in Action 1, 1984
 aka 'A matter of Honor',
  With:
 Chuck Norris, M. Emmet Walsh, Willie Williams, Erni Ortega *, Bert Spoor. Lance Hool, Ken Metcalfe*,Yoram Globus & Menahem GolanCannon Prod.Dir. Joseph Zito


Full Movie 
MIA 1 (click here)
(1:37:30)
 Colonel Braddock, who escaped a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp 10 years earlier, returns to Vietnam to find American soldiers listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War.


Chuck and I open this scene.. The grenade jump..(02:50)

Missing in Action 1, Grenade Jump by firebert1


*****
5.  The Devastator aka Kings Ransom aka The Destroyers
  1985 (Final Mission) with: 
Richard Hill, Don Gordon Bell, David Light, Nick Nicholson*, Henry Strzalkowski, Steve Rogers, Bill Kipp, Bert Spoor. 
Premier Production Dir. Cirio Santiago *


Full Movie click here
1hr.18 min
https://plus.google.com

 and:
Clip, 'car hunt'..(1.47 min)

Kings Ransom akaThe Destroyers aka The... by bert-e-spoor
kings-ransom-akathe-destroyers-aka-the-devastator-1985_shortfilms

*****
6. Blackfire, 1985
 with:
 James Gaines, Rom Kristoff, Richard Harrison, David Light,
Tony Carrion*, Bert Spoor
Dir. Teddy Page

Full Movie (1:27:50) 
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BertESpoordeRave/posts/4km9kzQFY25?pid=6179210459476573506&oid=113594002597590518952
and
Clip 
(02:42 min)


BlackFire 1985, trailer 


*****
7. American Ninja, 1985: 
with:
 Michael Dudikoff, John Fujioka, Tadashi Yamashita, Steve James, Henry Strzalkowski, David LightJames Gaines, Juliet Lee, Eric Hahn, Tony Carrion*,
 Steve Cook, Don Stewart, Berto Spoor
Cannon Prod.
Dir. Sam Firstenberg
 Full Movie..Click here 
(length: 1:31:40 m)

Clip. Training camp
(02:41 min)

AMERICAN NINJA   Training camp by firebert1


******
8. Blood Depts, 1985: 
  with:
 James Gaines, Don Gordon, Willy Williams, Richard Harrison, Mike Monty, Dick Israël, Willie Moralez *, Bert Spoor

Direct: Teddy Page
Full Movie
(1:34:50 min)

Clip, shot by Richard... 
(length 01:59 min)

Blood  Depts, clip  shot by Richard by firebert1


******

9. Behind Enemy Lines aka Attackforce Nam, 1986
  with:
 David Caradine*, Steve James,  Eric Hahn, Bill Kipp, James Gaines, Willie Williams, Henry Strzalkowski, Bert Spoor, Ken Metcalfe*, Cannon Prod.
Dir. Gideon Amir


Full Movie 
(1hr 26min)

Attack Force NAM by crazedigitalmovies
 or


 (Photo's and clips, click here)
******

10. Equalizer 2000 1986
 with: Robert Patrick,
Richard Norton, Don Gordon Bell, Eric Hahn, Henry Strzalkowski, Nick Nicholson, Vic Diaz, Steve Cook, Willy Moralez*, Bert Spoor.
 Premier Prod.
Dir. Cirio Santiago*

Full Movie, click here


*****

11. SILK 1986:
 with:
Cec Verrel, Bill McLaughlin, Don Gordon Bell, David Light,  Joonee Gamboa,
Steve Rogers, Willie Williams, Nick Nicholson, Bent Pederson, 
Eric Hahn, Don Gordon,  Vic Diaz, Bert SpoorHenry Strzalkowski,
Premier Prod.
Dir. Cirio Santiago*
Full Movie 

Clip.
(01:38 min)
SILK Trailer by firebert1

*****
 12Women of Valor 1986  
 with:
Susan Sarandon, Kristy McNichols, Alberta Watson, Eric Hahn, 
Carlos Palacios, Bert Spoor,
Cast. Ken Metcalfe
Dir. Buzz Kuli



****
13. Platoon 1986,
 with:
 Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Tom Berrenger, Henry Strzalkowski, Francesco Quinn*, Johnny Depp, Raphael Shulz, Nick Nicholson*,
 Eric Hahn, Bert E. Spoor.
 Dir. Oliver Stone


Full Movie  click here
(2 hrs)
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113594002597590518952/albums/6123504175667478993/6123504189552621394
and:
The shotgun
(3:14 min)

Platoon - Clip Smokin' weed.. by bert-e-spoor


Deleted sceens..


Platoon - deleted scenes, different ending door  bert-e-spoor


 ****
14. Braddock, Missing in Action 3 1987
 1987/88 with:
 Chuck Norris, Roland Harrah lll*, Yehuda Efroni, Ken Metcalfe*, Bert E. Spoor
Cannon Prod. Golan /Globus.
Dir. Aaron Norris
( helicopter crash Naic Cavite, 30 May 1987, 4 dead *) 
also see:
headline Manila news.


Full Movie

(1:44:20 min)

*****
15. A Dangerous life, 1988
aka The 4 Day Revolution
with: 
Gary Busey, Joonee Gamboa, Tony Carrion*, Bert Spoor.
Hanna Barbara Prod.
Dir. Robert Markowitz

 Full Movie (2:42:49)


*****

16. Hamburger Hill, full Movie
 (1:45:05)
 with:
 Anthony Barille, Maichel Boatman, Don Cheadle, 
Eric Hahn, Bert Spoor,
Dir. John Irvin


*****
  17. Return from the river Kwai, 1989
 Daily Motion 1/2 &2/2,
 with:
George Takei, Edward Fox, Nick Tate, Timothy Bottom, 
Chris Penn*, Eric Hahn, Robert Kelley, Bert Spoor.
Dir. Andrew Mc. Laglen





*****

18. Indio 1989  
Full movie.
with:
Brian Dennehey, Marvin Hagler, Francesco Quinn*Kaye Wade, 
Chuck HicksDavid Light, Bert Spoor.
Dir. Anthony Dawson aka Antonio Margheritti




****
 19. The B-team aka Above the war 1989
Comedy, with:
 Richard Harrison, Romano Kristoff, Mike Monty, Bert Spoor
AD. Henry Strzalkowski,
Dir. Ken Watanabe

  (Daily Motion) )

(1hr.35m)

Clip: 
'Fresh water stream'..?!! (40 sec)



*****
20. Born on the 4th of July  1990
with:
 Willem Dafoe, Tom Cruise ,Tom Berringer, Henry Strzalkowski,
Bert E. Spoor. Ken Metcalfe*,
Dir. Oliver Stone

Full movie, click here.
(2:18:10)  
https://plus.google.com/photos/113594002597590518952/albums/6070817680367841009/6070817687979309106

*****
21. Demonstone 
 aka Heartstone aka Deathstone 1989
 with:
 R. Lee ErmeyJan-Michael VincentNancy Everhard,
Eric Hahn, Bert Spoor.
Direct. Andrew Prowse
Full Movie1/10 


part 1part 2part 3part 4part 5,
part 6part 7part 8part 9, part 10

*****
22. Delta force 2, the Columbian Connection 1990
 with:
 Chuck Norris, Lee Marvin,George Kennedy, Bert E. Spoor
Eric Hahn, Steve James, Ken Metcalfe*,
Cannon Prod
Dir. Aaron Norris
(2nd helicopter crash ,: 16 may 1989, 5 dead )
Geoff Brewer, Mike Graham, Don Marshall, Gadi Danzig, Jojo Imperiale *
Full Movie (click here)

(1:45:59)

and
A training with Chuck  (1m:28sec)
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BertESpoordeRave/posts/3ipRSYV8ba1?pid=6119429072612445618&oid=113594002597590518952

It's a wrap...
Direct Aaron Norris and Joao Fernandes 1st cameraman, 
(whose shoulder I fixed in Missing in Action.)




..and with Chuck.



****
Interview 1: by Andrew Leavold...
Interview 2: by Mike Haberfelner.


http://www.oliverstone.com/
.
google8684fcb218e303e0.html