title: Informed consent for facial transplantation.
abstract: Now that partial face transplantation has been performed, attention is focused on likely functional, aesthetic and immunological outcomes, and full facial transplantation is the likely next step. Facial transplantation has been the source of ethical debate, a key part of which focuses on valid informed consent. We review the process of informed consent in health settings, assessing how applicable the current standards are for facial transplantation. The factors which need to be assessed during the screening programme are outlined. We conclude that both individual and process factors are important in obtaining consent for radical new procedures, and outline our own gold standard for ensuring informed consent in facial transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK. anthony_renshaw@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Renshaw
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Diver
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ashcroft
authors.forename: Peter E M
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Butler
mesh_terms: D032962:Consent Forms; D003657:Decision Making; D028744:Ethics Committees, Research; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005145:Face / Q000601:surgery*; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D016743:Mental Competency; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012306:Risk