Face Transplants
Comments: 11
This is stunning – not in the sense that it’s great or amazing, but in the simple sense that i was stunned when I read it (although I do think it’s great and amazing).
Face transplants ‘possible within a year’
Emma Young, New ScientistA face transplant would involve removing the face, facial muscles and subcutaneous fat from the recipient. The donor face from a recently dead person, complete with lips, chin, ears, nose, eight major blood vessels and even some bone, would then be grafted into place.
Medical science, huh. Just incredible. (The first person to mention that ridiculous John Woo movie “Face/Off” in comments gets a smack!).
Peter Butler of the Royal Free Hospital in London will argue that face transplantation will be the only effective way of treating some severely disfigured patients, such as those who have suffered extensive burns or facial cancer.
But his own survey of 120 people including nurses and doctors revealed that while some would be willing to receive a face transplant, none would be prepared to donate their own face. Butler hopes that if full details of the procedure and its medical need are made clear, potential donors might be able to overcome their initial revulsion.
Hell, if anyone’s desperate enough to want my face, they’re welcome to it. I don’t have a problem with this at all. If there’s any part of me that can be used after my death to improve the lives of others, grab it before my body’s cold! I certainly won’t be needing it when I’m a pile of ash.
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Posted to Oh, the Humanity • 2002.11.28 (Thu) • 10:23
Comments
Posted by tom 2002.11.28, 10:45
WOOHOO, a real life faceoff! Actually that would really scary to see someone else with your recently deceased friend face! Give me the creeps…
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens 2002.11.28, 11:05
I’m with you…if someone wants or needs my face after I’m dead, they can have it. I’m surprised the article only discussed the psychological problems of potential donors. What about the recepients? I think it would be very strange to have someone else’s face. No doubt it would be a great improvement on a horribly burned or disfigured face—but still, even when “restored” you wouldn’t be the same you. You would look more normal to strangers, but you wouldn’t really be yourself. How strange to look in the mirror. And how would family and friends react?
Posted by Mary Beth 2002.11.28, 13:32
I have to think (without reading the article) that the face wouldn’t look quite like the donor’s. After all, the bone structure underneath wouldn’t be the same, and the muscle attachments to the bone wouldn’t be the same either, making the facial movements different. Perhaps subtle differences, but differences nonetheless. It’s amazing to me though that they could transplant so many different types of tissues all at once. My mind boggles at the anti-rejection protocols that must be done.
Posted by frazer 2002.11.28, 19:44
ahha- whoooa ah- there. Stop just think for a minute about that movie- with an arm transplant- yeah?- made that recipient kill other people. ….I SEE THE FUTURE- a whole new era of URBAN MYTHS!…..
Posted by Kevin 2002.11.30, 11:29
I think, in need of a new face, I would probably prefer plastic surgery. Probably a little easier on the psych and much less chance of bumping into an old friend you’ve never met.
They can do some pretty amazing work nowadays. Although it gets pretty expensive. I found this article from the Asia edition of Time Magazine very interesting.
Posted by Mike 2002.12.02, 23:35
Fantastic technology, but what happens if new tissue is rejected. Presumably the patient could not survice long with no face at all?
Posted by jh 2002.12.03, 00:25
Kevin — Thanks for that link. You’d be astonished at the amount of advertising for cosmetic surgery that you see here these days. I find the idea of superficial surgery pretty freaky. I want to look like Keith Richards when I get old. My face may well be the only reminder of some pretty fun times that I end up with at the rate my mind’s slipping away from me.
Mike — Apparently skin is one of the most problematic organs to transplant with regard to rejection, but new immunosuppressants are thought to be up to the task. They’d want to be, or you’d end up looking like Michael Jackson.
Posted by Gloria 2003.01.03, 00:04
I like the idea, but would it really work? And for how long?
Like with liver transplants, hand transplants, etc. one would, I assume, have to take some anti-DNA-rejection pill every day, right? And what would happen to the recipient of a new face if the donor face was rejected? What if it had to be removed?
Posted by jo + emm 2003.02.06, 20:09
We think it’s a stupid idea, you won’t know who you’re talking to. Also it will make it easier for criminals to get away with stuff because they could just change their appearance.
i think that face transplants could be good but we don’t know the emotional problems that would go along with the operation. It’s better that being a scar face but you might look like a whole different person. You would have to choose between scars or someone elses face on yours.
Posted by laura 2003.12.01, 00:05
I think that this is an amazing advancement in surgery the underlying bone structure will mean that the recipient niether has their old face or that of the donor n jst to say to jo n em don’t be ridiculous there will be stringent cuntrols on this n any old criminal won’t be able to get a face transplant. this is reality not a stupid movie!
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