Advancement in medical technology has allowed doctors to perform a wide array of medical procedures. However as technology advances, so does the possibility of new procedures such as facial transplants. Facial transplants have been around for ten years and are still considered an experimental procedure. Like many experimental procedures, facial transplants are controversial. Procedures of this nature strongly challenge the moral views of society and medical professionals. Facial transplants are very unethical due to the fact that they have a low success rate, cause a loss in identity and take a psychological toll on the patient.
First of, the low success rate of facial transplants raises the question of why some doctors would even go ahead with the risky procedure. Many recipients end up rejecting the new faces due to non-compatibility. Like many medical procedures, there is always a risk of rejection by the body. The only difference between an experimental procedure and one that has been tested and practiced is the heightened risk in rejection in those that are experimental. There is also a heightened risk in death when undergoing facial transplants (Face Transplant). Rejection is the main cause of death. Once the body rejects the new face, there is nothing that can be done to reverse it (Face Transplant). Many patients often ask to die once the procedure has failed. This leads into the controversial topic of assisted suicide. However with a low success rate, there have been a few cases where a face transplant has been successful. With the success of a new face, the patient still has to cope with many emotional factors.
Additionally, once a patient undergoes a facial transplant, they lose their personal sense of identity. Waking up and looking physically different can take a toll on the patient’s identity. As humans, we identify each other by our faces (Face Transplant). How would you feel if you woke up and could not recognize the face staring back at you in the mirror? A sense of loss and confusion comes to mind. Not only is a facial transplant difficult of the recipient but it is also hard on the donor’s family. The faces used in the transplant procedures come from donors who have died. It is difficult for families of the donor because seeing the face of their love one on a new body can cause emotions to rise. The hardest concept for people to understand is that facial transplants are just transplanting the facial tissues, not the identity of the donor (First Face). This concept may be difficult to grasp because we often connect identity to the face of a person. Coming to terms with who you are as a person may be hard but it is not the hardest part. The psychological factors that affect the mind may be the most challenging part.
Moreover, the patient has to face various psychological effects before and after undergoing the risky transplant. The thought of death can usually make people stop and think twice. With such an experimental procedure, the patient must be willing to accept the fact that they may die. If they successfully undergo the transplant, they have to be ready to cope with what they now look like. That can always be a challenge considering that the patient has seen themselves a certain way for years (First Face). Patients may go into shock due to their new face. That is just one of the many effects the patient may experience. The mental effects caused by the procedure seem to outweigh the physical effects.
In conclusion, the experimental procedures of facial transplants seem highly unethical. Facial transplants are barely successful, cause one to feel like they have lost themselves and have many psychological effects that last long after the procedure has been done. Why would one put someone through that kind of pain? As a doctor, it is part of their morals to help and heal others, not inflict pain. If the facial transplants seem to cause more pain then why bother with the procedure at all? It all seems to contradict what doctors practice and preach.
Works Cited
Barclay, Laurie. "First Face Transplant Raises Ethical Issues." Medscape News. 2005. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/520031>.
Caplan, Arthur. "Is Face Transplant worth Risking Patient's Life? - Health - Health Care - Breaking Bioethics - Msnbc.com." Breaking News, Science and Tech News, World News, US News, Local News. 17 Dec. 2008. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28279182/ns/health-health_care/t/face-transplant-worth-risking-patients-life/>.
