17/03/2026
Tim McGrath, a man from Michigan, faced a life-threatening battle with a rare soft-tissue cancer called synovial sarcoma, which caused a massive tumor to grow on his face. The tumor, roughly the size of a melon, forced surgeons to remove a large portion of the left side of his face to save his life.
After the operation, Tim was left with severe facial damage, and several early reconstruction attempts failed when his body rejected the grafts.
In 2016, plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Kongkrit Chaiyasate at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan took on the challenging case. Using complex microsurgery, he transplanted tissue from Tim’s leg and forearm to rebuild the missing sections of his face.
The multi-stage reconstruction successfully restored much of Tim’s facial structure, allowing him to regain functionality and return to daily life after a long recovery.
