title: Psychosocial considerations in facial transplantation.
abstract: The human face and facial transplantation have long captured the interest and imagination of scientists, the media and the lay public. The face is central to our identity, and our communication with the outside world. It is this great importance we attach to our face that makes facial disfigurement such a devastating condition. Facial transplantation could provide an excellent alternative to current treatments for facial disfigurement caused by burns, trauma, cancer extirpation or congenital birth defects. Herein we discuss some of the principal psychosocial considerations which have preceded the clinical introduction of facial transplantation, and which continue today after cases have been performed world-wide.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Chirag V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Soni
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Sathnur B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pushpakumar
authors.forename: L Allen
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Furr
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Banis
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D054445:Facial Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D012649:Self Concept