Woman Featured in Time Reveals Prosthetic Nose

(Oct. 12) -- Standing before an audience of politicians, advocates and admirers, an Afghan woman whose face was disfigured by her abusive husband wore a sophisticated prosthetic nose, revealing what she'll look like once ongoing reconstructive surgery is completed.

Aisha, once known as "Bibi," was first introduced to the world on the cover of Time magazine in August.


Married at age 13, Aisha endured years of abuse before trying to escape. Her attempt was thwarted, however, and Aisha's husband -- allegedly a member of the Taliban -- cut off her nose and ears as punishment.

In the United States since this summer, she's been undergoing reconstructive surgery paid for by the Grossman Burn Foundation in California. And last weekend, Aisha was honored with an Enduring Heart Award at the foundation's annual gala event.

At the event, Aisha wore a prosthetic.The custom-designed prosthetic is difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

It's unclear how far along her reconstructive surgery is, but Aisha has a long road ahead. Surgeons will need to rebuild the nasal skeleton (a combination of bone and cartilage) as well as muscle and skin.

Skin flaps from Aisha's own body are one option; grafts are another. The latter often offer better aesthetic results, because one's own skin means a better color match.

The good news for Aisha is that this kind of reconstructive surgery has made rapid strides in the last decade. In 2007, surgeons at Johns Hopkins tackled a challenge similar to hers, as they rebuilt an Iraq veteran's entire nose from his own body parts.

Senior Airman Michael Fletcher's surgical ordeal took a year, and required six separate procedures that spanned 40 hours altogether. Doctors used underarm skin to create inner nostril passages, and created nasal structure using cartilage and bone from Fletcher's ribs and ears.

The end result? A fully functional nose, capable of breathing, smelling and even sneezing.

"From the beginning, his nasal reconstruction was not straightforward," Dr. Patrick Byrne said of Fletcher. "But he did not want to wear a prosthesis. He wanted his nose rebuilt, even if all the world was going to see his scars."

And while Aisha's surgical procedures are only in preliminary stages, she'll likely face the world with a new nose of her own within a year.

And her ongoing treatment isn't only surgical. Aisha is also partaking in academic classes and daily psychological counseling sessions, according to the Daily Beast.

"When I meet the doctor I will tell him all of my story," she said. "My father told me not to tell anyone the full truth ... But I will tell them all these things because I am not such a person to lie; I will tell them because I think my story must be told."