Lifestyle VIDEO: US accident victim becomes world’s first person to get double hand and face transplant in rare surgery 05 Feb 2021 Joe Dimeo before and after the surgery. AFP A 22-year-old man from New Jersey who suffered horrific injuries in a car accident has become the world's first person to undergo a successful face and double hand transplant, his medical team announced. Joe DiMeo sustained third-degree burns on over 80 per cent of his body when he fell asleep while driving home from a night shift in July 2018, causing his car to flip over and then explode. Though he was pulled to safety by a passerby, his injuries included amputated fingertips, severe facial scarring, and the loss of his lips and eyelids — affecting his vision and ability to lead a normal, independent life.