Minis On The Edge Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 I was reading an article about the first ever face transplant. I read a lot about transpalnts because I worked for a company that provided a medication that would help people not reject the transplant. Anyway, I started thinking about this and was wondering how would you feel about getting a face transplant? I have mixed feelings about this because first of all, she will more than likly have to be on meds for the rest her life so that her body won't reject this. The face is not a major organ but then again, my face was not mauled by dogs like hers was... What do you think? To read a little bit aout her story click here . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 I believe she is l;ucky to be alive. I also believe that her new face will have a lot of paralysis. I had surgery once where the cut across my entire cheekbone ( from inside my mouth) rto asscess the bone and gain entry to a sinis passage to remove tumors. The result is I do not have full use of my face muscles on that side. I have quite a crooked smile if I smile big, Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatColorado Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 It gives me shivers to think about it, however if it becomes a viable (not too many complications) procedure, think how wonderful that would be for burn victims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I agree that I think it's marvelous for people who have lost their face due to injuries or disease. I think that I would rather be left with some facial paralysis than no face at all. Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovecats Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 This is a very interesting question. I read her story the other day. I am undecided about the benefits of surgeries such as this. Organs such as kidneys, heart's, cornea's etc...for some reason don't bother me at all. I think it's incredible that we can do such things medically to help preserve a life. Thinking about that poor woman and what she went thru, this must be such a new lease on life for her. The downside that I have a difficulty with is the chance for rejection, what will she be like emotionally and physically if there is rejection and tissue death. The other point that I have a struggle with...the "donor" family seeing the "face" of their dear loved one transplanted onto the body of another person. That beloved face not quite functional (paralysis and gaping mouth) and a strong reminder of the loss of the loved one. It almost has a frankensteinish feel (to me personally). Not to mention the very VISIBLE "piece" of the dead loved one out there in this world. I just don't know how I feel about it. Kind of glad they can do such things (glad for the recipient), but kind of repulsed. I had a sister die in a car wreck at the age of 28. Lets suppose that she was alive enough to be a donor before she passed on. I would have the hardest struggle in life knowing that her face was transplanted onto another person. Her organs, I would feel proud that they could use them to keep another person alive. I can't quite resolve that difference. I had a hard time for the longest time after her funeral, knowing what she looked like alive and at the time of viewing her before the funeral...to the thoughts of her buried in the ground. That was very tough for a couple of years. But to know that her face was still out there on someone else. No. Just my jumbled thoughts on the subject. Margarita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaN Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I think the lady has been given a remarkable new lease on life. I do agree it is kind of morbid, if you consider the donor's family, and seeing a loved one's face, etc. Never thought of it that way. But this offers a world of possibilities to people who are disfigured in some way. The only thing I heard on the news about this that struck me as strange was she would not quit smoking, which is adding to the factor of tissue rejection, and what the doctors fear. I think if I just got myself a new face I wouldn't be smoking, drinking, etc. But that is what I heard on the news, so it's debatable whether it's true or not-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovecats Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 kind of morbid, she would not quit smoking, which is adding to the factor of tissue rejection, and what the doctors fear.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yah, that word is descriptive! I read about her smoking...not a good thing to do when you go thru a procedure such as this. Why bother doing it if you aren't going to take care of your transplant. Hopefully she'll quit and give her transplant a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 the "donor" family seeing the "face" of their dear loved one transplanted onto the body of another person. I struggled with this too, but it was explained very simply to me. They don't actually transplant the "face". It is the skin and tissue from the donor. When the skin and tissue is transplanted onto the recipients face, it forms to their bone structure. So in actuality, you wouldn't be looking at the donor's face, you'd be looking at the recipient's face with new skin and tissue on it. I wonder if we would feel differently if the skin was transplanted somewhere else, like perhaps the buttocks? Just think of the possibilities for attack victims and burn victims. Puts hope in people's lives. One thing I don't understand about all this though, I've never heard of a Golden Retriever attacking a person, much less when they're asleep. I'm thinking there's more to this story than what we're being told. Perhaps the house was about to be set on fire by her smoking and the dog was trying to wake her up? Makes me wonder . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Well, it's a very disgusting story but I read at our local newspaper that the woman wanted to kill herself with tablets. She fell asleep and after a time the dog started to "eat" her face. She woke up and wanted to light a cigarette. Then she noticed her face was bleeding.... And the person she got her "face" from also committed suicide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 There's a lesson here somewhere . . . be careful what you wish for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovecats Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 It is the skin and tissue from the donor. When the skin and tissue is transplanted onto the recipients face, it forms to their bone structure. If it were just skin I wouldn't be bothered as much. I believe they use cadaver skin sometimes for burn victims. Actually transplanting skin and tissue are equivalent to transplanting the face in my opinion. They would have taken enough tissue and fatty areas so that the blood supply and nerves could connect to the recipients own tissues and also have a full appearance. If the recipients face was so disfigured as to require a transplant, then they would have actually used as much tissue and skin as they could. Very likely including the facial muscles. Although the shape does change due to placement on the recipient, in essence, it's still the donor face. They would have had to have removed some of the recipients skin and tissue to remove the disfigured areas and in place put the donors tissue and skin, this would also allow them to connect nerves and blood supply, so the recipients own tissue would have had to be removed to an extent. Okay, i'm sure I repeated myself in there somewhere... But it also appeared that the donors lips were a part of the tissue "patch". Anyway...interesting situation. As far as the buttocks vs the face....yeah it wouldn't be a visible area (unless she mooned alot of people) so it wouldn't be so apparent. Anyway,just my thoughts on the subject. Margarita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 Just think of the possibilities for attack victims and burn victims. Puts hope in people's lives. ********* They will use cadaver skin for burn vistums if the paitent does not have a large enough amount of their own skin that can be grafted. When my son was burned they considered doing that as his legs were not big enough. Instead they removed the skin form both his sides to cover his back. He healed fantasticaly. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 I never fail to be amazed by the information I glean on this site! But, I know now that I will never transplant any of my Heidi Ott dolls' faces. Wait a mini minute .... they already all have the same faces ... just different hair and eye colours. Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 That's something I wondered too--how could you not know the dog ate your face! She had to be under the influence of something! And I agree--I've never heard of a Golden Retriever attacking anyone--especially not a family member. Hmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 I am glad I am not the only one that wondered about the dog eating her face and why she was so druged she did not know it. Personally I don't think they should have done it if she was not going to quit smoking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 That's something I wondered too--how could you not know the dog ate your face! She had to be under the influence of something! And I agree--I've never heard of a Golden Retriever attacking anyone--especially not a family member. Hmmm. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Been thinking that over to mesen too. Me don't think the story of the 'attack' holds a whole ten gallons. Didn't know her whole face had been ripped off until she couldn't hold a cig between her lips, and then didn't know until she looked in the mirror. Am I alone in thinking this kind of injury would be at least a tiny bit PAINFUL!. I read previously this same person had received bilateral hand transplants. Before the face. Notice how we never see any before photos? Could this be Munchausen's? Or experimental surgery on someone who don't need it, or even faked? The Family Retriever mauls her so badly her whole face is gone, while she sleeps? Maybe she'd have been safer with a Pit Bull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 I think she was under the influence of the tablets. She was unconscious for days and maybe the dog was hungry... you know what I mean? Very disgusting, I know.... I also have a problem with the fact she's still smoking. But generally I think it's a postive advance and the new medical possibilities will give many people new hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 how would you feel about getting a face transplant? It would depend on what happened to the old one. A classmate's older sister was in a near-fatal car wreck may years ago & as the result of many grafts & surgeries has a "new" face (this was like late 60s/ early 70s) & I was shocked when I learned who she was (she looks NOTHING like she did before, but still very lovely). I had to leave before getting to watch the whole show, but Discovery Health Channel was running a segment on a baby born without most of her facial bones who would require many surgeries to build her a face. I didn't read or see or hear about the article in question, it sounds like a tabloid story, especially with the hands transplant. As for the attack of the golden retriever, when we lived in Ohio our priest's neighbors' black labs attacked & severely mauled the paperboy coming to collect; the owners had teased the dogs and made them mean & aggressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 It's amazing what the medical world can do now! I can some what relate to the pain last week I had a cancer spot taken off the side of my face on my temple it was the size of a half dollar around they took a big scoop out then when it was sewen up they took the skin and made a Z shape cut to lessen the scaring I have over 50 stiches and a big black eye. I asked if they ever did petipoint the stiches are so small. No matter what she did The DR. found a way to fix it. I seen a picture of her on tv the other day and altho she looks rough the face is healing nicely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted February 15, 2006 Author Share Posted February 15, 2006 Doogster, that fact that it should have been painful is what made me wonder was she under some type of meds from the start for pain or something. If a mesqito (spelled wrong I know) bite me in the middle of the night the itch wakes me up if the darn bite don't. I did not hear about her hand operations. I know the first Man who received a hand transplation body did reject the tissue after a while. It looked as if he was doing fine but then the rejection started. It seems it would be even more painful to lose your face a second time. But then again, I am not in this persons shoes and I have not seen what her before picture looked like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Color Me Holly Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I guess Isabelle is going to be on Primetime Thursday. There is also a video news brief on this page http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1997060&page=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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