Jennifer Mathews: When Chuck Pepe looks in the mirror today, he see he is a different person. One who's happier and healthier.
Chuck Pepe: I was becoming more and more uninterested in things and isolating a little bit more than usual, just to not have to answer questions.
Jennifer Mathews: Chuck has HIV, the very drugs that keep him alive cause a condition known as facial wasting.
Chuck Pepe: There were such subtle changes that it felt like I just woke up one morning and thought, 'Wow, where's my face?'"
Dr. Berish Strauch: They look in the mirror and they see themselves as if they were sick. They look like they have end stage AIDS when they know that they're feeling well.
Jennifer Mathews: Plastic surgeon Berish Strauch uses a technique called dermafat grafts to help patients achieve a normal look. It's a combination of deep layers of skin and the underlying fat.
Dr. Berish Strauch: If I could transfer the dermafat grafts from the abdomen area into the face, we would achieve a longer lasting or long lasting permanent solution to this for the patient.
Jennifer Mathews: So far, all of his patients have had good results with no serious side effects.
Dr. Berish Strauch: They feel better. Psychologically, they are happier people.
Jennifer Mathews: Six weeks since his surgery, Chuck even feels better physically.
Chuck Pepe: My appearance has improved greatly since the surgery, and I feel that there is a real link between mind and body.
This is Jennifer Mathews reporting.
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