Psychosocial Implications of Disfigurement and the Future of Human Face Transplantation
- 1 August 2007
- journal article
- special topic
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Vol. 120 (2), 559-565
- https://doi.org/10.1097/01.prs.0000267584.66732.e5
Abstract
Summary: Although the first face transplants have been attempted, the social and psychological debates concerning the ethics and desirability of the procedure continue. Critics contend that these issues have not yet been sufficiently addressed. With this in mind, the present article seeks to elaborate on key psychological and social factors that will be central for addressing the ethical and psychosocial challenges necessary to move face transplantation into mainstream medicine. The goals of this article are to (1) discuss the psychosocial sequelae of facial disfiguration and how face transplantation may relieve those problems, and (2) delineate inclusion and exclusion criteria for the selection of research subjects for face transplantation. The article uses concepts from symbolic interaction theory in sociology to articulate a theoretically coherent scheme for comprehending the psychosocial difficulties of facial disfiguration and the advantages offered by facial transplantation. The authors conclude that the psychosocial implications of disfigurement warrant surgical intervention and that research in the area of face transplantation should continue.Keywords
This publication has 38 references indexed in Scilit:
- Facial transplantation: A new gold standard in facial reconstruction?Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 2006
- Response to: Thorburn et al Patient Selection for Facial Transplantation III: Ethical ConsiderationsInternational Journal of Surgery, 2004
- Response to: Clarke and Butler Patient Selection for Facial Transplantation II: Psychological ConsiderationsInternational Journal of Surgery, 2004
- Response to: Kelly and Butler Patient Selection for Facial Transplantation I: Anatomical and Surgical ConsiderationsInternational Journal of Surgery, 2004
- The Technical, Immunological and Ethical Feasibility of Face TransplantationInternational Journal of Surgery, 2004
- Response to: Summerton and Agha Sociological Considerations in Face TransplantationInternational Journal of Surgery, 2004
- Response to: P. Haughton Ethical Considerations of Facial TransplantationInternational Journal of Surgery, 2004
- Response to: R. Farrer Psychological Considerations in Face TransplantationInternational Journal of Surgery, 2004
- Response to Selected Commentaries on the AJOB Target Article “On the Ethics of Facial Transplantation Research”American Journal of Bioethics, 2004
- Composite tissue allotransplantationTransplantation, 2002