What are you thoughts regarding face transplants?

Ewwwwwwww.

(On a more serious note, I am a strong supporter of organ donation – epidermis is an organ after all- but I have to admit, this has a squidgy factor for me.)

I can understand that if someone was extremely disfigured that they may want to do this. The only reservation that I have is that this type of surgery can lead to other complications.

I would not donate my face but then again I don’t think anyone would want it.

@GAMBIT….“other complications”....such as…..?

I feel the same way about donating a face as I do with donating any other part of my body: since the government has decided I cannot sell any part of my body voluntarily to another voluntarily purchasing individual, I will not donate parts of it for free. Yes I know why the government would take this stance, and yes I know that I will be dead and thus not caring much about what’s done to my body. And I was actually an organ donor until recently, when my opinion on this issue changed.

From what I could see of the French woman who had the first face transplant, it certainly didn’t make her look like the donor, or even very much like herself. However, it did improve looks and function over what she was left with after her dog attacked her.

Any time you have a transplant it must be for a serious matter because of the medications and vigilance needed for the rest of the recipient’s life to prevent rejection and infection.

I can’t see that a face transplant is much different than any other transplant, even skin grafts, which actually all a face transplant is really. I just hope no one I know is ever going to need a transplant of any sort. My husband and I are both organ donors – since the skin is an organ I suppose it could be used if it were appropriate. However, I plan to use it for many more years yet.

@Snoopy – They run the risk their bodies will reject their new faces, so they are sentenced to a lifetime of taking immune-suppressing drugs.

A nasty side effect of these drugs is that it raises the odds of a patient coming down with cancer and other diseases

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/12/17/face-transplant.html

If I’m dead, I have no more use for my body. If I can help someone else even after dying, I’m all infavor of it. I’d donate my brain, too, if they could figure out a way of saving it.

I listened to an interview w/ a medical ethicist regarding these surgeries. His point was that we typically associate a person’s “uniqueness” in large part to their face and their brain (thoughts/ideas). Although not yet donating facial bones and thus a more complete version of the donor…it is theoretically possible.

@GAMBIT thanks for the clarification :)

@Snoopy – Your welcome

lurve to syz for “squidgy factor”

If it is necessary and it works for you then I am all for it.

I would not feel comfortable donating my face to someone who needs it. I’m not sure why, I just find it to be a bit odd.

I do however find that something like this is just amazing, and a great opportunity for someone who has been disfigured. It gives them the chance to live a more normal life. It’s just amazing what technology has come to, and what potential it all has.

@dynamic- Wow. Way to pick your battles. That is pretty shitty and not a smart political statement.

I’d love it if you could explain why you think it’s not a great statement, because as your comment stands now it’s pretty pointless in continuing any discussion of value.

I donate organs, but donating my face…I would just find to be different. If I donated my face, would I be able to have an open casket at my funeral? I’d imagine they would need my skins almost immediately.

Because one day you may need a transplant. You say you understand what the ramifications of selling organs would be yet you think you are making a political statement by not being an organ donor. Why? The law doesn’t need to be changed so why protest?

Selling one’s organs isn’t a good idea.

It means one would inherently be limiting the pool of who is deserving to who is the highest bidder.

Additionally, it could potentially create a horrifying black market. One in which people are kidnapped, drugged and have one of their kidneys removed and stolen like any other commodity.

Either scenario is unsavory.

Organ donation needs to be voluntary. We would do even better if the national systems were set up to force you to opt out rather than opt in. i.e. You are presumed to be a donor unless you opt out.

I believe that France’s system is set up this way….

well assuming it was legal to see ones organs, I would have a professional do it, and I wouldn’t have to deal on the black market. secondly assuming someone was the highest bidder, I’d also imagine he is in much need of whatever organ I was selling him.

But to be clear, I wouldn’t sell any of my organs either, who knows, I might need that extra lung, or kidney some day.

Just because someone is the highest bidder doesn’t mean they need it the most. It means they have the most money.

but they still would have a need though. some people NEED organs but may not have the insurance to cover it. They aren’t going to get it even though they may need it more than another person who does have insurance to cover a procedure.

@Random
The system is set up to serve the people w/ the greatest need and those who are the sickest first.

Having someone “jump the line” because they can pay more for an organ than someone who is sicker may cause the person who needs it more to die….when if the rich guy had just waited his turn perhaps noone dies.

The system is a donor system to save the maximum number of lives possible.

It allows people to be queued in such a way that there isn’t favoritism or preference.

Noone would want the rich guy jumping ahead of their loved one in line, just because they could pay more….

More info is available here

I’m not saying that they should be allowed to do so. But aren’t people denied to be on a list due to lacking insurance?

@Random Maybe I misunderstood.

I thought you were suggesting people should be allowed to pay for organs…..?

I suspect that yes, sadly, there are people who do not get on the list due to lack of insurance.

A different and excellent point.

That’s so amazing. That woman has more courage than I could ever possibly imagine possessing, much less exhibiting. To have kept the will to live all these years with such a disfigurement, and braved the risks of having such a life-changing surgery is almost more than I can comprehend. I fully, completely, 110% support her and this new phenomenon. May God be with her as she heals and embraces her new life.

I’m all for it, even though it is a little ‘squidgy’. I’d be dead, they’d have a better life.

I understand why you might have seen my statement as a political one as I did bring up the government point of it. But I should have mentioned that my belief extends way past such. It’s simply a commodity issue. Everyone knows a dead body has value, that’s why organ donations are solicited and encouraged, and medical schools encourage donations for science. Instead of letting me access this value though, others have decided that I must give it away for no gain whatsoever. And as I get older and older, I care less and less about random other people as I see more and more hatred and stupidity perpetuated. Jaded? Hell yeah. Flawed? Possibly, but I don’t give a hoot. I’d rather have my organs rot in the ground than be given to someone who caused a car accident, who now lives because of my organs and could possibly cause another one in the future.

Regarding my use of donated organs, for what it’s worth I have a DNR order, and while I’m not a doctor or nurse my instinct is that I have a lesser chance of needing an emergency organ transplant because of this.

@dynamicduo Your organs are yours to keep or give away….that is and should be your right.

I do not, however, think you should be allowed to sell them to the highest bidder…for the reasons stated earlier….

Whatever. My mom, my cousin and one of my good friends would be dead if everyone thought like you and I’m glad they don’t. It is your right to feel that way.

I’d wouldn’t be terribly concerned about the donor. I mean, they’re dead.
Problems are for people who are still alive.

I can really only think of two issues:
1. Making sure that the recipient doesn’t live/work by the donor’s friends/family.
2. Making sure the recipient receives proper psychological help for any identity issues that may arise.

What the heck did I type?!!?? ^^^^^^^^

….should NOT be allowed to sell to the highest bidder…

(!!!!sorry!!!!!)

Cripes. I had a “not” in that post. ^^^^

I need a nap.

While i don’t have a problem with organ transplants in general (from a pragmatic standpoint, it reduces ‘waste’), face transplants have always seemed borderline to me.

Someone can take a kidney, but how could someone possibly take the identity of a corpse and wear it around. in my mind that is disgusting, and is the most insulting and disrespectful thing you could do to another human being.

imagine coming face to face with a stranger wearing your mothers face. it’s sick.

however, if they somehow ensure that the recipient of the face no longer resembles the donor, i do think it would be acceptable

@jackfright – SInce the “face” in question tends to be just the top layers, and since what your face actually looks like involves the underlying bones and muscles and how you use your face, then I doubt you would recognize your mother’s face under those circumstances.

A face transplant has nothing to do with the identity of the donor, and the result does not in fact look even normal, but it can be less horrific than what it replaces.

@Darwin from the little i’ve seen you’re entirely right :) i hope it stays that way.