Face transplants '18 months' away

London Times Online ^ | November 27, 2002 | pa news

[RFP]

The possibility of seriously disfigured patients in the UK having a face transplant could be as little as 18 months away, according to a leading plastic surgeon.

Peter Butler of the Royal Free Hospital in London said that new techniques and improved anti-rejection drugs have made it possible to graft a face on to another person. It is believed that a team of clinicians is being created at the Royal Free

In the future, patients will be to have the donated "face" of a dead person, complete with arteries and muscles, grafted on to their own. The complicated and lengthy operation would give the recipient greater movement in their face, marking a departure from the mask-like characteristics of current grafting techniques.

Mr Butler will discuss the issue of face transplants today at the British Association of Plastic Surgeons in London where he will call for a debate on whether transplants should be available in the UK.

He said today that there were ethical considerations with the treatment, but added: "Those who have suffered severe facial deformities from burns, cancer patients who have had facial surgery, or people who have been disfigured in accidents could benefit."

[RFP]

I can just see it now: Michael Jackson will have an ecclectic collection of faces from dead children of whose bodies he purchased from all over the world from their bereaving parents for large sums of cash. "Oh, I think I'll be this little boy (or girl) today..." FREAKY!

[RFP]

Click here for related article and FR post from Reuters.

[Cold Heat]

I have seen surgery on TV, where the face is completely peeled down to the neck, in order to do repairs in the sinuses and skull. Amazing! And scary!

[ZOOKER]

Oh, great, just one more reason for victims to wake up in a bathtub full of ice.

Lucky for me, it's highly improbable anyone would want to "lift" MY face.

[billorites]

Michael Jackson aside, more good than bad will likely come of this.

Rod Serling would have loved it.

[pabianice]

"... call Dr. Hannibal Lecter for details..."

[RFP]

"Hmmm, I'm kindof tired of this chimp face. Think I'll go for that orangutang look now."

[martin_fierro]

Please.

We do face transplants every day here on FR. <|:)~

[Jorge]

I have seen surgery on TV, where the face is completely peeled down to the neck, in order to do repairs in the sinuses and skull.

Cool.

[APBaer]

Diana Ross better have concrete poured over her grave.

[jjhunsecker]

Yeah well think about this then. Terrorist groups that have valuble people with known photographs etc. can now have the faces altered so that we won't know what they look like. There may even be a way in the future to also alter fingerprints so that these people would be able to fade into the background without any way for us to trace them or identify them at all.

[Cold Heat]

It is amazing, what those knife wielding surgeons can do these days. It sometimes seems un-real.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

"Lucky for me, it's highly improbable anyone would want to "lift" MY face."

ROTFL! I doubt that it would be worthwhile to add MY face to my "organ donor card", either! Every Driver's License photo I have EVER had taken makes me look like a deranged axe murderer (is there any other kind...?)

[Cold Heat]

They have been able to do that since the 30s, with the aid of plastic surgery.

This face operation costs 100s of thousands and is not common place. Plastic surgery is way cheaper! (if all you want in altered appearance.)

[CoolCD]

It's scarry if criminals can change their face so easily.

[nomad]

There already is a way to alter your own fingerprints, it was pioneered by intelligence agencies, you do a skin-graft from your toe tips to your finger tips (you have a completely different set of prints there).

[speedy]

Barbra Streisand will be happy to hear this news. Time for a trade-in.

[petuniasevan]

[judgeandjury]

I have seen surgery on TV, where the face is completely peeled down to the neck, in order to do repairs in the sinuses and skull.

Cool.

Groovy, far out, radical, and neat too.