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French Dr's Perform first Partial Face Transplant

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  • French Dr's Perform first Partial Face Transplant

    I saw a debate on this on the news the other day..many feel it's 'unethical' I say if it's done for the right reasons, to give a badly scared, disfigured or burned person a better quality of life..why not.


    (CNN) -- Doctors in France say they have performed the first partial face transplant on a woman who had suffered extensive injuries in a dog attack.
    A joint statement from hospitals in Lyon and Amiens in northern France said on Wednesday the surgery took place Sunday in Amiens on a 38-year-old woman, replacing her nose, lips and chin.

    The woman was in "excellent" condition and that the transplanted organs look "normal," the statement said. She wants to remain anonymous, it added.

    Dr. Jean-Michel Dubernard, one of the surgeons who performed the transplant at Amiens University Hospital, told The Associated Press the transplant was the world's first of its kind.

    But "we still don't know when the patient will get out," he said. He refused to give any more details until a news conference on Friday at 1 p.m. in Lyon.

    The grafted tissue came from another woman who had been declared brain-dead, with the consent of her family, the statement said.

    Various organs were also donated from the deceased woman for other patients.

    The statement said the woman who received the partial facial transplant had "lesions that were extremely difficult and nearly impossible to repair using standard facial surgery methods."

    Doctors from CHU Amiens and a team from CHU Lyon participated in the procedure, the statement said.

    Similar procedures have been discussed by British and American doctors, but because of ethical concerns they have not been approved.

    Scientists have previously performed scalp and ear transplants but experts say the mouth and nose are the most difficult parts of the face to transplant.

    The woman will not look identical to her donor even once the swelling has gone down. Her appearance will be somewhere between her original face and the face of the donor.

    Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/1...ace/index.html
    Jen, 39, F
    In maintenance




  • #2
    Re: French Dr's Perform first Partial Face Transplant

    I think its awsome that they are able to do that! I have a cousin who was severly burned over her entire face, one arm, shoulder and her knee, it would have saved her countless platic surgeries that they had to perform on her face just to make her look 1/2 way normal over a period of about 15 years! If someone is willing to donate I don't see what the problem is.


    5'4"
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    • #3
      Re: French Dr's Perform first Partial Face Transplant

      I think the biggest worry is dr's wont screen people and do it for the money..people who may use it as a plastic surgery option, ie get the face of a 20 yr old when your 70, or people who just don't like what they look like (ie michael jackson) will abuse it.

      Though i think it's an awful extreme option just to look younger/different..but hey..it's amazing the lengths people will go to (again..michael jackson LOL).
      Jen, 39, F
      In maintenance



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      • #4
        Re: French Dr's Perform first Partial Face Transplant

        OMG, well I never thought about that Sadie, thats just friggin creepy! LOL, but with all the plastic surgery some folks undergo just for the sake of looking younger you know I believe that may actually be an issue! Yikes!

        Speaking of that, you did get the email I sent you didn't you?


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        • #5
          Re: French Dr's Perform first Partial Face Transplant

          Originally posted by MotherOfGizmo
          OMG, well I never thought about that Sadie, thats just friggin creepy! LOL, but with all the plastic surgery some folks undergo just for the sake of looking younger you know I believe that may actually be an issue! Yikes!

          Speaking of that, you did get the email I sent you didn't you?
          LOL yes i did..

          You know..the first thing i thought was if the person that receieved the transplant ever ran into someone that knew the donor. Morbid thought..but would they look like them? i guess different bone structure/hairstyle etc would change your appearance a bit..but i wonder if they'd recognize them. That could be very very disturbing
          Jen, 39, F
          In maintenance



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          • #6
            Re: French Dr's Perform first Partial Face Transplant

            Yea, and even if you didn't really recognize them you'd probably get a really weird
            Deja Vu kinda feeling and goose bumps and stuff, very disturbing indeed. I think I'll keep my face when I die!


            5'4"
            45 yrs (F) a.k.a. "Butterbean"
            Start date 5/18/2003
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            • #7
              Re: French Dr's Perform first Partial Face Transplant

              There was a lot of coverage here in Australia because the French team were trainedby an Aussie (the man who did the arm transplant, last year I think). Link here to an Australian newspaper report: http://smh.com.au/news/science/a-new...422052431.html

              Apparently the woman had half her face torm off by her own dog, from just below the eye to under thechin, including her mouth and nose. She couldn't eat, had to be tube fed all nourishment. Sounds horrific. She has been waiting 4 or 5 months for a suitable donor (close match is required on size, skin colour, age etc). Naturally, she will pretty much look like herself, as the bones determine the shape of your face.

              I cannot see any problem for reconstruction purposes. I've got my driving licence marked as a donor and I've told the family the docs can have the lot if it's any use, no problems from me with these procedures.
              Odille

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