British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 47, Issue 6 , Pages 443-445 , September 2009

Ethical issues of facial transplantation

  • Harriet O’Neill

      Affiliations

    • University of Bristol, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 69 St Michael's Hill, Bristol BS2 8DZ, UK
  • ,
  • Daryl Godden

      Affiliations

    • Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NN, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +44 01452 814400.

,Accepted 20 May 2009.

References 

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  2. Kmietowicz Z. Face transplants should not be done without more research. BMJ. 2003;327:1184
  3. Butler P. Face transplants: a better life beats a longer life. The Sunday Times, August 24, 2008. Available from: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4596948.ece.
  4. Dubernard JM, Lengelé B, Morelon E, Testelin S, Badet L, Moure C, et al. Outcomes 18 months after the first human partial face transplantation. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:2451–2460
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  9. Agich GJ, Siemionow M. Until they have faces: the ethics of facial allograft transplantation. J Med Ethics. 2005;31:707–709
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  13. Coghlan A. Two more face transplant triumphs. New Scientist, August 22, 2008. Available from: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/dn14579-two-more-face-transplant-triumphs.html (accessed October 15, 2008).
  14. Swindell JS. Facial allograft transplantation, personal identity and subjectivity. J Med Ethics. 2007;33:449–453
  15. Malik TH, Kelly G, Ahmed A, Saeed SR, Ramsden RT. A comparison of surgical techniques used in dynamic reanimation of the paralyzed face. Otol Neurotol. 2005;26:284–291
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  17. Huxtable R, Woodley J. (When) will they have faces? A response to Agich and Siemionov. J Med Ethics. 2006;32:403–404
  18. Kiska A, Sheil E. Cleveland clinic surgeons perform nation's first near-total face transplant. Cleveland Clinic Public & Media Relations Press Release, December 17, 2008. Available from: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/news/2008/cleveland_clinic_surgeons_perform_nations_first_near-total_face_transplant.aspx (accessed February 4, 2009) http://clevelandclinic.org/media_relations.
  19. Macchiarini P, Jungebluth P, Go T, et al. Clinical transplantation of a tissue-engineered airway. Lancet. 2008;372:2023–2030

PII: S0266-4356(09)00206-X

doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2009.05.008

British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 47, Issue 6 , Pages 443-445 , September 2009