A UK team has been given permission to carry out what would be the world's first full face transplant. Peter Butler at London's Royal Free Hospital said he was "delighted" to get the go-ahead from an NHS ethics board for an operation "within months". No patient has been selected for the procedure, although the team has been approached by about 30 patients. Last November Isabelle Dinoire from France became the first person to receive a partial face transplant. She had her nose, lips and chin torn off after being mauled by the family dog. Mr Butler said the go-ahead for the first full face transplant "had been a long journey, but this is just the beginning, really". "The most important part of the process starts now, which is selection of the patients," he added. Mr Butler is now looking to draw up a shortlist of candidates who meet the selection criteria for the operation, which includes an assessment of how they will deal with its psychological impact.

His team will select four patients from the UK or Ireland for the procedure, and the operations will be carried out at six month intervals. He said he would not be able to carry out the operation on children, because of issues of consent.

View: Full Article | Source: BBC News

No! I am totally against this! Criminals will and terrorist will use this technology.

Actually criminals and terrorists would have a better chance at using plastic surgery. I mean come on, this isn't something you walk into your doctors office and "order" Its only used in extreme cases.

Additionally the bones in a person's face are what shapes the face. Not the skin on top.

Um...... Who are the donors of the faces? Surely they couldn't use dead people's faces, but who living person in their right mind would say, 'ok, you can peal off my face and give it to someone else'?

Does this mean I will need to amend my full organ donor status?

Face/Off

Not sure if i agree or disagree with it, i suppose it can help people who are physically scared and need to change it to live a better life. But it shouldn't be given to people who have nothing wrong with there face or people who say 'I'm ugly i need a face transplant' it should only be given to those who need it and thats people who have disfigured faces.

But the donars is who i want to know were they will come from.

So getting an ugly face later in life matters more than when you are born with one?

Nice ethics.

Sooner or later anyone will be able to look the way he/she wants to look. And there is nothing wrong with that.

^ Not saying anyone shouldn't be allowed, but if this is going to be on the NHS it should be allowed to those who 'need it' not 'want it'

So you get uglier in age, so will that new face of yours and think about it say your 50 have tons of wrinkles you get a new face yet your body looks old.

I'm not saying someone who is ugly or unhappy with ther eface shouldn't be allowed it, but they should go private and pay for it not get it on the NHS because if they do then thats wrong.

They should be allowed treatment, everyone should, but those who get it on the NHS if it becomes available should be those who have been disfigured not those who are ugly later in life or are unhappy with there face and want to look like Cathrine Zeta Jones etc....

It's not bad ethics, it's called what is right, as i said everyone should be allowed it, but someone who wants it done to look like a model or like there favourite actor and they have nothing wrong with there current face should be made to pay for it not get it for free if it comes on the NHS like people have to pay for boob jobs and nosejobs for instance.

The NHS free thing should go to those who have been disfigured as why should the state payfor someone to have a new face.

Maybe it is because nobody outside the UK knows what the NHS is but I still don't think the discussion got to the point of free/private. Just aloud/not aloud.
That said: I do agree that there should be some control, especially at first since donors will be scarce. But after that, I think everyone who has problems with his/her appearance should be able to change it.

Nobody can tell you if you are ugly or beautiful better than you can.

NHS is basically a health service which is government paid from taxes etc for free you can get anything such as an operation treatment etc on the NHS for free.

Private is basically like most nonUK hospitals you pay.

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But if you lived in the UK you'd probably understand where i came from would you pay taxes and such just so someone who wantys to look like Madonna or Britney or Zeta Jones to have a face transplant?

You wouldn't if they were disfigured or had someone wrong with there face scars etc birth defects then yup go ahead thats fine.

But it shouldn't be allowed for people just wanting better looks as that like many other plastic surgery ops should be paid for not given for free.

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But can someone answer this who are the donors?

Real live people?

Dead people?

And if it's someone whos alive what will there face look afterwards?

Of course they do, same as they use dead peoples hearts, livers and kidneys

I very much doubt that


The documentary about the French girl who had it said her new face would look like a combination of her own face and the new face.


I believe they vet their candidates tightly, it's only people who are severely disfigured that qualify for this treatment it's not for asthetic purposes.

NO WAY!!! Who would want someone walking around with their face on someone else...

Imagine how you would feel if your husband/wife died.... Next month your walking down the street and... BINGO....... there is their face looking back at you. That would be terrible!!