Kevin's Watch

Proponents of face transplants argue that the procedure could remove the need for years of operations by applying a new sheet of skin in one operation. While the capability to perform face transplants has existed for years, nobody has attempted it. Teams of surgeons in Britain, France and the US have previously announced that they are close to performing face transplants, but concerns over the ethical implications of the procedure have halted or delayed their plans.

Highlight "ethical concerns"! I can't begin to imagine the real world implications this could have! Remember "Face Off", with Travolta? I know the idea's been out there, and the science too, but never actually "performed" (like there wasn't a "corpse face game" somewhere insurgical school ) as a public procedure. Any thoughts on how this could affect us, or just any thoughts?

Talk about the perfect thing for the Federal Witness Protection Program!!!

I too heard about this and the first thing I thought of was FACE OFF. But I can't imagine (medical wise) what advantage this has. Skin graphs, yeah.
But a FACE TRANSPLANT? I'm not sure about this one, folks.

(BTW - I'm in the FWPP and I wasn't here. )

They were saying that using the whole face, instead of "pieces" or grafts, was a better approach. The whole face would bond to the underlying muscle structure and "theoretically" be perfect living flesh, instead of "scar tissue".

cheval wrote:(BTW - I'm in the FWPP and I wasn't here. )

ok

Mainly for cosmetic and reconstructive purposes after seriously disfiguring injury, I gather.

Of course, you'd be walking around with some dead (criminal?) guys face, but hey...I'm sure the recipients don't care if it gives them a better chance at what they call a "normal" life.

--A

Think of the business opportunites!

I'm going to start a face farm.

The Modest Gentleman wrote:...I'm going to start a face farm.

THAT is disturbing, TMG! (but I like the way you put it! )

Well, I imagine that you would probably look a lot like yourself, since it appears to be skin applied over your own musculature and skull and cartilage.

However, its not too farfetched to imagine that muscle, bone and cartilage can be changed allowing for a totally new look.

I imagine that this is what makes doctors nervous.

I think it is a fantastic idea for those with disfigurements. I don't think the doctors should hold back for ethical concerns, because it is clear that this CAN be done, and so probably, the folks who would do it for the wrong reasons are probably already doing it.

This is my arguement for looser gun control laws, too

Lady Revel, I've been meaning to speak to you about your avatar, and what a perfect thread to do it! Could you please change it? Every time I see it, I get a small thrill chill, and can't help but just sit and stare at it. It is just way too incredibly beautiful! very distracting, not to mention completely disarming. It's got to go........

face transplants, if the face doesn't change enough, would creep out living family members, no? and what of scarring?

From what I understand, it is for use in patients who have been horribly disfigured and would otherwise face years and years of surgeries.

It sounds like (from the newscast I saw) that the woman in France it was performed on had been badly mauled by a dog, and she received the face from a lady who was brain dead, and whose family had consented to it, just as with any other organ donation sort of situation.

I would think there would actually be a lot less scarring than what their natural face would look like after the burns or accident? And it would all be done at once rather than as a patch work of surgeries over the years.

Agreed Duchess. Think it's a good thing for those who've suffered disfiguring injuries. And I ahve no doubt that scarring etc. would actually be fairly minimal and easily hidden, especially as the techniques improve.

--A

I suspect the black market would eat this one up. There will probably be stories of homeless people being found dead and faceless. And there's stories about people selling their children into slavery. I can't imagne they wouldn't sell their children's faces.

The other side of the coin, I'm afraid.

--A

Then there's the woman who always wanted to look like Julia Roberts. So she hires someone to kill Julia and take the face, which she gets transplanted onto her own by some unscrupulous doctor. Alas, she's now extremely recognizable, and gets arrested the first time she goes out into public.

think skull.

wow Fist, working on that plan, eh?

A boy's gotta have a hobby, neh?





Yeah, The Esmer, I know. I think Lady Revel is right. But mention of the skull would have ruined the scenario.

werd