The surgeon who performed China's first face transplant in 2006 said he has been waiting years to help a second patient but cannot find a donor.

Guo Shuzhong, a top expert in reconstructive surgery, revealed in an exclusive interview that an unwillingness among families to donate a loved one's face after death is potentially holding back progress in the field.

"The surgery remains at the research stage, although knowledge and techniques have largely improved," Guo said. "But I have a female patient now who has been waiting years for the surgery, as there is no suitable donor."