Morgan Bellface/off: the future?
April 19th 2006 06:39
The 1997 movie Face-Off had little science to back it up at the time of its release. Medical advancements over the last couple of years, however, have us facing up to astounding possibilities.
The world’s second ever face transplant has recently been performed to the patient’s satisfaction. 30 year old Li Guoxing of southern China divorced himself from society after being mauled by a bear 2 years ago. Mr Li was given the eyebrow, nose, cheek and upper lip of a brain-dead donor in a 13-hour surgical operation that ended on Friday. Though there will be minimal scarring from the operation, the difference in the skin colours of the patient and donor will be obvious. Mr Li has been on a liquid diet since the operation and is still unable to speak, but his doctors at the Xijing Hospital in Xi’an, China, are looking forward to a good recovery. Mr Li’s surgical wounds are expected to heal within one week.
Meanwhile, the world’s first face transplant recipient, 38 year old Frenchwoman Isabelle Dinoire, may be hindering her own recovery. In January this year, only 2 months after the procedure that gave her a brain-dead donor’s nose, chin and lips, Ms Dinoire was reported to have started smoking again, against the fears of chief surgeon Dr Jean-Michel Dubernard.
Finding donors for facial transplants have many ethicists concerned. Special organ donation guidelines may be necessary for facial donations as donors may be more reluctant to have someone else wearing something as distinguishing and personal as a face, than an internal organ.
(image from Newscientist.com)
The world’s second ever face transplant has recently been performed to the patient’s satisfaction. 30 year old Li Guoxing of southern China divorced himself from society after being mauled by a bear 2 years ago. Mr Li was given the eyebrow, nose, cheek and upper lip of a brain-dead donor in a 13-hour surgical operation that ended on Friday. Though there will be minimal scarring from the operation, the difference in the skin colours of the patient and donor will be obvious. Mr Li has been on a liquid diet since the operation and is still unable to speak, but his doctors at the Xijing Hospital in Xi’an, China, are looking forward to a good recovery. Mr Li’s surgical wounds are expected to heal within one week.
Li Guoxing after surgery
Meanwhile, the world’s first face transplant recipient, 38 year old Frenchwoman Isabelle Dinoire, may be hindering her own recovery. In January this year, only 2 months after the procedure that gave her a brain-dead donor’s nose, chin and lips, Ms Dinoire was reported to have started smoking again, against the fears of chief surgeon Dr Jean-Michel Dubernard.
Finding donors for facial transplants have many ethicists concerned. Special organ donation guidelines may be necessary for facial donations as donors may be more reluctant to have someone else wearing something as distinguishing and personal as a face, than an internal organ.
(image from Newscientist.com)
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Comment by AdamB
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Good to have you back again. We missed you!
Comment by liz
hope everyone had an excellent easter break
Comment by liz
though i intellectually know that my face is just a bunch of muscles and tissue, i feel as though it sorta defines me. it's like, my avatar for the world - people make their first impressions of me from it. if someone had if after i died, then it would almost be like they are taking over who i was. they could take over my life!
and that's just weird.