A Chinese man is under-going a pioneering transplant using a nose grown on his forehead, following an accident last year.

The patient, 22-year-old Xiaolian, suffered an infection after failing to seek medical advice in the aftermath of a car crash in 2012.

The infection corroded away cartilage, making it impossible for surgeons to repair his original nose.

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His new nose was created by medical staff at at hospital in Fuzhou, Fujian province. Doctors used a skin tissue expander placed on his forehead to create the shape, and planted cartilage from his ribs to produce the structure.

The new nose is said to be ready for transplant surgery in the near future, according to surgeons at the hospital.