Richard Huxtable
Gaining face or losing face? Framing the debate on face transplants
Huxtable, Richard; Woodley, Julie
Abstract
An American surgical team has announced its intention to perform the first human facial transplantation. The team has, however, invited further analysis of the ethical issues before it proceeds and in this paper we take up that challenge in seeking to frame the debate with a particular focus on the recipients of the transplant. We address seven related areas of concern and identify numerous questions that require answers or, perhaps, better answers. We start by examining the nature of the procedure and its intended benefits, why the procedure is being developed, and whether or not this should be viewed as experimental. Having concluded that this is experimental in nature, we then consider the broad question, who is the patient? Here we perceive difficulties in terms of the autonomy of the recipient, the unpredictable effects of receiving the transplant, and the role and influence of society. We conclude by asking whether the question should be 'whether or not?' rather than 'when?', particularly while the risks of losing face appear to far outweigh the likelihood of gaining face. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Citation
Huxtable, R., & Woodley, J. (2005). Gaining face or losing face? Framing the debate on face transplants. Bioethics, 19(5-6), 505-522. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8519.2005.00461.x
Journal Article Type | Conference Paper |
---|---|
Publication Date | Oct 1, 2005 |
Journal | Bioethics |
Print ISSN | 0269-9702 |
Electronic ISSN | 1467-8519 |
Publisher | Wiley |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 19 |
Issue | 5-6 |
Pages | 505-522 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8519.2005.00461.x |
Keywords | ethics transplantation |
Public URL | https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1047190 |
Publisher URL | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8519.2005.00461.x |
Additional Information | Additional Information : The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com |
Files
Gaining Face or Losing Face BIOETHICS[1].docx
(48 Kb)
Document
Gaining Face or Losing Face BIOETHICS[1].pdf
(178 Kb)
PDF
You might also like
Social media and radiography research: Ethical considerations
(2018)
Journal Article
An introduction to ethics
(2009)
Book Chapter
(When) will they have faces? A response to Agich and Siemionov
(2006)
Journal Article
The ethics of face transplantation
(2004)
Presentation / Conference
Clinical assessment within practice
(2000)
Presentation / Conference