Face Transplant

[OpenMind5]

Someone I know read that the first face transplant was as success somewhere and I am ratehr curious as to where it took place and who did it and why...ect.

If an one can find info on it such as an artical or what have you....I would greatly appriciate it.

Op5

[Dark Mind]

I think Kentucky... Louisville...

And I'm not kidding. I really think that's where it happened.

[IrishEyes]

The closest thing I found was that a team in Ohio was granted permission last October to go ahead with a face transplant. They were still looking for a suitable candidate though.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/26/style/face.php

Docs in Louisville performed the first successful hand transplant a while back. Maybe that's what you're thinking of, DM.

[Dark Mind]

Who knows what I'm thinking of ?...

[OpenMind5]

I thought it happened over seas in London with a burn victim.

[Boerseun]

Originally Posted by IrishEyes

Docs in Louisville performed the first successful hand transplant a while back. Maybe that's what you're thinking of, DM.

There was a story in the news a while back about a guy in the UK who got a hand transplant. Everything turned out fine, he had muscle control, nerve feedback, the whole nine yards, and everybody was all gaga about the whole thing. Up to about a year later, when the guy went back to the doctors and asked them to please amputate the hand 'cause he never could get over it psychologically that he's using somebody else's hand. I wonder what the psychological effects will be of a face transplant?

[OpenMind5]

Thats why I was soo interested. The only place to harvest such a thing as a face i would think...is a cadavor!!!!

So if anyone stumbles across the artical of any info...please let me know...I myself am still looking.

Op5

[Dark Mind]

I don't think it's happened yet...

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Scientists have carried out face transplants on dead bodies donated for medical research. Scientists at the Utrecht University and the University of Louisville are seeking approval for an experimental face transplant to be performed in the Netherlands. In 2004 the Cleveland Clinic became the first institution to approve this surgery. Dr. Siemionow's group there is searching for its first patient.

I don't know though...

[Boerseun]

Is it actually possible to 'transplant' a face? Won't it just be a facial skin transplant?

What makes a face? I'd say the underlying bone construction, muscle layout, etc. You can take anyone's face and transplant it on your face and you'd still look mostly like YOU, because of the underlying shape.

(I think...)

[Dark Mind]

When you transplant a face you take everything from the cadavers face except the musculature and plop on your patients face with skin, fat, and veins all there. The patient then has to take immuno-suppressant drugs for the rest of their life to keep the patient's system from refusing the new face.

The procedure is generally used for extreme cases of burn victims, and the drugs increase chances of getting diseases and cancer.

Not good...