New row breaks out over face transplant (Donor and recipient had both attempted suicide)

The Guardian ^ | Monday December 5, 2005 | Kim Willsher

[Grig]

New questions were raised yesterday over France's pioneering face transplant operation when a leading medical ethics professor said the surgery had been conducted with undue haste, as it emerged that both the donor and the recipient of the skin graft had attempted suicide. The medical team that carried out the 15-hour operation eight days ago was accused of ignoring ethical questions in the bid to be first, and of using a rival doctor's technique. The saga took a further twist when it became clear that the donor and the 38-year-old transplant patient had been involved in suicide attempts.

[capt. norm]

Ultimate horror:

Getting a face transplant from Cindy Sheehan.

[HiTech RedNeck]

As she lay unconscious, part of her nose, her mouth and chin were bitten off by her Labrador-cross dog, Tania.

Note: next time get a cat.

[capt. norm]

Ultimate horror #2:

A liver transplant from Ted Kennedy.

[BenLurkin]

"The donor, whose name has not been released, was said to have been of a similar age and from the same area as Ms Dinoire. She had hanged herself. Permission for the transplant was given by her family after she was declared brain dead."

[Lazamataz]

New row breaks out over face transplant (Donor and recipient had both attempted suicide)

Doesn't seem like a problem unless the donor attempted suicide by repeatedly whacking his face against a wall.

[Right Brother]

Ultimate horror#3:

Colon transplant from Barney Frank.

[JustAnotherOkie]

How about a penis graft from john bobbit?

[RegulatorCountry]

Last night, on the other thread, they were denying that the recipient had attempted suicide.

If there's such a thing as "cellular memory," as has been speculated due to people with organ transplants suddenly acquiring a taste for foods previously disliked or developing a love for motorcycles where none existed prior to surgery, only to find out that the donor had a taste for those foods or loved motorcycles ... well, let's just say that suicide donor and suicide recipient doesn't sound like a long term proposition. It also sounds like a rush to glory, to be the first to perform the surgery, with little to no regard for the psychological state of the patient.

[RegulatorCountry]

Face transplant from Helen Thomas or a butt transplant from Shrillary?

[killjoy]

developing a love for motorcycles where none existed prior to surgery

One of my favorite t-shirts: "If I could ride my wife as much as I ride my motorcycle I would be home right now."

[RegulatorCountry]

"How is the psychological state of the patient improved by having a chewed off face?"

It's not "improved" at all. However, subjecting a psychologically unstable person to having the face of another person is asking for big problems. If she actually did try to kill herself, and learns that what is now part of her came from another who succeeded in killing herself, she's going to be a real mess despite having her face made "whole" again.

This thing just feels wrong, from the just-doesn't-add-up story about how the woman was injured, to persistent reports of attempted suicide, to the donor being a successful suicide, to the doctors having apparently ignored completely any extenuating circumstances.

It really doesn't sound as if this will come to a good end to me.

[Erasmus]

"Now, the physicians involved are scrambling to save face."

[Chode]

did they murder the donor after the operation or did they leave it to live out it's existence without a face???

[D.P.Roberts]

"Alors! Alors!" Dr. Hirsch was heard to cry out. "My bottom has not been properly kissed!"

[RegulatorCountry]

"So there doesn't seem to be any ethical questions."

We'll just have to disagree on that one. To me, this whole episode represents an ethical lapse.

[mugs99]

It also sounds like a rush to glory, to be the first to perform the surgery, with little to no regard for the psychological state of the patient

Nonsense. They are trying to help a woman who lost her face. All of the objections come from the psychology crowd who didn't get to make a buck from this poor woman. How would you feel if you lost your face?
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