A man in China who received a partial face transplant in April was discharged from the hospital on Friday. He planned to return to his village home to spend time with his family before having to return to the hospital for further treatment.

Li Guoxing, a 30-year-old farmer, underwent the groundbreaking surgery after his face was mauled by a black bear in 2003. In a 15-hour procedure, a team of doctors and nurses transplanted a nose, upper lip, cheek, and eyebrow from a brain-dead donor onto Li's face.

Since the surgery, Li's swelling has subsided. He has also grown a mustache and experienced outbreaks of acne – both positive signs that the procedure was successful.

Before leaving the hospital last week, Guoxing said he was “very happy to go home.”

Guoxing's surgery represented only the second time the complex procedure has been performed anywhere in the world. The first such procedure was performed last year in France when a woman received a partial face transplant after being attacked by a dog.

The surgery was performed at Xijing Hospital in the city of Xi'an, and was led by the director of plastic surgery there Dr. Guo Shuzhong.

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