In a time when technological advances are made every day, people are always looking for ways to improve life. Ideas range from newer, smaller computers to an automobile that promises to carry its passengers safer, faster and with style at a low cost to the consumer.
While most of these improvements are just mere luxuries, designed to simplify the life of their users, many improve the lives of those in need.
While these ideas are being explored, ethical and moral debates are always brought up, especially when it concerns artificially altering the makeup of a person. Recently, doctors have been exploring the idea of performing facial transplants on people who suffer from severe disfigurement.
Many doctors believe that a facial transplant will be possible within a year. While many are excited about this new procedure, many others have strong reservations. Despite these worries and concerns, if proven medically possible and safe, this procedure should be allowed at the discretion of the doctor and patient.
Some feel that this procedure has too many risks to allow its use. These risks include:
* requiring that the patient take anti-rejection drugs their whole lives
* possible infection, which might lead to severe discomfort and possibly more deformity
* forced removal of the transplant.
But experts agree that though these risks are possible, they are highly unlikely. In fact, most feel that facial transplants have a great chance of succeeding. A similar procedure, a hand transplant, has already been successfully performed.
Because this procedure is cosmetic, meaning it would better the life of a patient but not save it, some feel it is unethical and should not be allowed. But potential patients dispute that logic.
They feel that when a patient needs help, the doctor provides the necessary medications and procedures, if possible. A doctor treats cancer patients and performs many heart and lung transplants yearly. Why does the fact that the face transplant is external affect its morality?
Medical ethicist Arthur Caplan believes that allowing the controversial procedure will only do more harm than good, especially in the organ donor programs.
Caplan, as well as others, is concerned that those with ethical objections to the transplant will not allow their other organs, such as kidneys, hearts and livers, to be donated to needy patients. He feels that if this were to occur, this procedure could end up costing more lives than it benefits.
But as with organs such as the eyes, there will be options that allow the donor to only donate internal organs. With this option in place, the facial transplant should not affect the current organ donor program.
Psychological effects are also being considered while evaluating this procedure. To some, the face is a large part of who you are. How you look and how people see you greatly affects many aspects of your life, including your self-esteem and personality.
Many worry that a complete change of appearance will result in personality changes, not necessarily for the best. Others feel that allowing a deceased person’s face to be transplanted will cause damage to the family of the donor, due to the fact that they may see the face of their dead loved one, alive and well.
But these worries are trivial.
When a person undergoes this surgery, they have suffered severe disfigurement due to some sort of accident and are constantly suffering psychologically because of it.
No matter how unappealing their new face may be, it would certainly be an improvement over a disfigured face. Only good personality and attitude changes would occur for the recipient.
As for the family of the donor, it might be traumatic or shocking to see the face of their deceased family member walking around. However, it is not something that they cannot overcome, nor is it reason enough to prevent this procedure for those who need it.
Ultimately, one should consider the benefits for any person considering such an extreme procedure.
For people who have suffered severe burns and are forced to look in the mirror every day to a disfigured face that no amount of plastic surgery will ever fix, this new procedure seems a logical and wonderful solution.
With patients already lining up to receive a transplant, the medical community should be granted permission to perform this operation.
Shaina Hanson is a freshman political science major. She can be reached at [email protected].