'Antibiotic-resistant infection ate my face after crash'

A CAR crash survivor has told how an implant which was part of her post-injury facial reconstruction became infected and started eating her face.

- BY FILIPA GASPAR

Vanessa Carter, 47, suffered life-changing injuries in a serious car accident as a passenger in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2004 - including a broken jaw and nose, smashed cheekbones and the loss of an eye.

Her face was reconstructed and an artificial eye was made for her.

She had several operations to remove tissue from damaged and infected areas and was given heavy doses of antibiotics.

A prosthetic implant was placed to bridge a gap between her cheekbone and nose, but soon she noticed pus leaking from the area.

Vanessa from Torbay, Devon, had emergency surgery to remove the prosthetic, which was sent away for tests.