(courtesy of Mr. Wolsko)
French Isabelle Dinoire, 41, a few months after her surgery (l) and a year later (r)
The concept of organ transplantation is one that, at this point in medical science, is very well known. Look at the back of any driver’s license. Most of the time, when we think of organ transplantation, we think of internal organs: heart, lung, liver, and kidney being taken from one person and given to another. Yet, the transplantation of faces, as strange as this may sound, has moved from science fiction to science fact. In 2005, the first facial transplant (a partial one) was performed on Isabel Dinoire of France. She was mauled by her dog as she slept; her lips and entire the bottom of her face below her nose was torn away. Part of a suicide victim’s face was used to restore Isabal’s ability to eat and speak normally.
At the end of March 2008, the first full facial transplant was performed in France…ironically, by a team led by a doctor who said he would not perform full face transplants.
Should this surgery be continued? Tell us what you think? Is this an area medicine should be exploring?a
| Related Web Sites |
|
