Face transplant

A face transplant is a skin graft that involves replacing a patient's entire face with a donor face.

Purpose

People with faces disfigured by burns, trauma, disease or birth defects might benefit from the procedure.

The alternative to a face transplant is to move the patient's own skin from their back, buttocks or thighs to their face in a series of as many as 50 operations to regain even limited function and a face that is often likened to a mask or a living quilt.

Dr. L. Scott Levin, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Duke University Medical Center, has described the procedure as "the single most important area of reconstructive research."

History

Self as donor (face replant)

The world's first full-face replant operation was on nine year-old Sandeep Kaur, whose face was ripped off when her hair was caught in a thresher. The grass-cutting machine completely amputated her face and scalp. The machine caught one of Sandeep's braids and then pulled her head in. Sandeep's mother witnessed the accident. Sandeep arrived at the hospital unconscious with her face was in two pieces in a plastic bag. Sandeep's doctor was Abraham Thomas, one of India's top microsurgeons. In 2004 Sandeep was training to be a nurse. Photos

An article in The Guardian recounts: "In 1994, a nine-year-old child in northern India lost her face and scalp in a threshing machine accident. Her parents raced to the hospital with her face in a plastic bag and a surgeon managed to reconnect the arteries and replant the skin." [1] The operation was successful, although the child was left with some muscle damage as well as scarring around the perimeter where the facial skin was sutured back on.

In 1997, a similar operation was performed in the Australian state of Victoria, when a woman's face and scalp, torn off in a similar accident, was packed in ice and successfully reattached.[2]

Mouth and nose from another

The world's first partial face transplant on a living human was carried out on November 27, 2005 [3] by a team of surgeons led by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard (the surgeon who performed the first successful hand transplant in 1998) and Professor Bernard Devauchelle in Amiens, France. Isabelle Dinoire [4] underwent surgery to replace her original face that had been ravaged by her dog. A triangle of face tissue from a brain-dead human's nose and mouth was grafted onto the patient [5] [6]. "Scientists elsewhere have performed scalp and ear transplants. However, the claim is the first for a mouth and nose transplant. Experts say the mouth and nose are the most difficult parts of the face to transplant." [7]

Full face from another

Scientists at the Utrecht University and the University of Louisville are seeking approval for this experimental face transplant operation to be performed in the Netherlands. In 2004 the Cleveland Clinic became the first institution to approve this surgery. Dr. Maria Siemionow's group, located at the Cleveland Clinic, is searching for its first patient.

Surgery and post-operation treatment

The procedure consists of a series of operations requiring rotating teams of specialists. With issues of tissue type, age, sex, and skin color taken into consideration, the patient's face is removed and replaced (including the underlying fat, nerves and blood vessels, but no musculature). The surgery may last anywhere from 8 to 15 hours, followed by a 10–14 day hospital stay.

After the procedure a lifelong regimen of immunosuppressive drugs is necessary to suppress the patient's own immune systems and prevent rejection. Long-term immunosuppression increases the risk of developing life-threatening infections, kidney damage, and cancer. The surgery may result in complications such as infections that would turn the new face black and require a second transplant or reconstruction with skin grafts. Psychological effects of the procedure may include remorse, disappointment, or grief or guilt toward the donor.

The transplant does not give the patient's face the appearance of the deceased donor's face because the underlying musculature and bones are different. Facial movements are due to the brain so the personality as expressed by the face remains that of the patient. Only the skin of the face is transferred from the donor, not the three dimensional shape nor the personality it expresses.

Popular culture

1960: The procedure was very grotesquely, yet somewhat accurately, highlighted in Georges Franju's 1960 cult horror masterpiece called Les Yeux sans visage which translates to "Eyes Without a Face".

1964: Kobo Abe, Japanese author and playwright, wrote The Face of Another (novel) (1964) about a plastics scientist who loses his face in an accident and proceeds to construct a new face for himself. With a new face, the protagonist sees the world in a new way and even goes so far as to have an clandestine "affair" with his estranged wife. His novel was made into a movie by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964 (Teshigahara made a film of Abe's novel Woman of the Dunes)

1997: The plot of the 1997 movie Face/Off was based on a face transplant operation that involved changing the underlying structure and actual face shape.

2003: The villain in the movie Once Upon A Time In Mexico underwent a face transplant.

2005: Facial transplant surgery was featured in a 2005 episode of Nip/Tuck. The patient's body rejected the face, and it had to be removed.

References

  • University of Louisville Plastic Surgery Research
  • Face transplants inch toward reality
  • Face transplants 'on the horizon'
  • Doctors say they're ready to perform face transplant
  • New York Times
  • BBC News - Woman has first face transplant

This page about face transplant includes information from a Wikipedia article.
Additional articles about face transplant
News stories about face transplant
External links for face transplant
Videos for face transplant
Wikis about face transplant
Discussion Groups about face transplant
Blogs about face transplant
Images of face transplant

The patient's body rejected the face, and it had to be removed. The biggest foreign exchange trading centre is London, followed by New York and Tokyo. 2005: Facial transplant surgery was featured in a 2005 episode of Nip/Tuck. The Bank for International Settlements reported that global foreign exchange market turnover daily averages in April was $650 billion in 1998 (at constant exchange rates) and increased to $1.9 trillion in 2004 (Triennial Central Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity 2004 - Final Results). 2003: The villain in the movie Once Upon A Time In Mexico underwent a face transplant. The foreign exchange markets are usually highly liquid as the world's main international banks provide a market around-the-clock. 1997: The plot of the 1997 movie Face/Off was based on a face transplant operation that involved changing the underlying structure and actual face shape. The spot market represents current exchange rates, whereas options are derivatives of exchange rates.

His novel was made into a movie by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964 (Teshigahara made a film of Abe's novel Woman of the Dunes). Currencies can be traded at spot and foreign exchange options markets. With a new face, the protagonist sees the world in a new way and even goes so far as to have an clandestine "affair" with his estranged wife. Like the stock exchange, money can be made or lost on the foreign exchange market by investors and speculators buying and selling at the right times. 1964: Kobo Abe, Japanese author and playwright, wrote The Face of Another (novel) (1964) about a plastics scientist who loses his face in an accident and proceeds to construct a new face for himself. When China announced plans for its first manned space mission, synthetic futures on Chinese yuan jumped (since China's currency is officially pegged, synthetic markets have emerged that can behave as if the yuan was floating). 1960: The procedure was very grotesquely, yet somewhat accurately, highlighted in Georges Franju's 1960 cult horror masterpiece called Les Yeux sans visage which translates to "Eyes Without a Face". For example, when Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed his Government on February 24, 2004, the price of the Ruble dropped.

Only the skin of the face is transferred from the donor, not the three dimensional shape nor the personality it expresses. A currency will tend to lose value, relative to other currencies, if the country's level of inflation is relatively higher, if the country's level of output is expected to decline, or if a country is troubled by political uncertainty. Facial movements are due to the brain so the personality as expressed by the face remains that of the patient. Most people will not be interested in a currency if they think it will devalue. The transplant does not give the patient's face the appearance of the deceased donor's face because the underlying musculature and bones are different. In choosing what type of asset to hold, people are also concerned that the asset will retain its value in the future. Psychological effects of the procedure may include remorse, disappointment, or grief or guilt toward the donor. It has been argued that currency speculation can undermine real economic growth, in particular since large currency speculators may deliberately create downward pressure on a currency in order to force that central bank to sell their currency to keep it stable (once this happens, the speculator can buy the currency back from the bank at a lower price, close out their position, and thereby take a profit).

The surgery may result in complications such as infections that would turn the new face black and require a second transplant or reconstruction with skin grafts. The higher a country's interest rates, the greater the demand for that currency. Long-term immunosuppression increases the risk of developing life-threatening infections, kidney damage, and cancer. An investor may choose to buy a currency if the return (that is the interest rate) is high enough. After the procedure a lifelong regimen of immunosuppressive drugs is necessary to suppress the patient's own immune systems and prevent rejection. The speculative demand for money is much harder for a central bank to accommodate but they try to do this by adjusting interest rates. The surgery may last anywhere from 8 to 15 hours, followed by a 10–14 day hospital stay. Central banks typically have little difficulty adjusting the available money supply to accommodate changes in the demand for money due to business transactions.

With issues of tissue type, age, sex, and skin color taken into consideration, the patient's face is removed and replaced (including the underlying fat, nerves and blood vessels, but no musculature). The more people there are out of work, the less the public as a whole will spend on goods and services. The procedure consists of a series of operations requiring rotating teams of specialists. The transaction demand for money is highly correlated to the country's level of business activity, gross domestic product (GDP), and employment levels. Maria Siemionow's group, located at the Cleveland Clinic, is searching for its first patient. Increased demand for a currency is due to either an increased transaction demand for money, or an increased speculative demand for money. Dr. It will become less valuable whenever demand is less than available supply (this does not mean people no longer want money, it just means they prefer holding their wealth in some other form, possibly another currency).

In 2004 the Cleveland Clinic became the first institution to approve this surgery. A currency will tend to become more valuable whenever demand for it is greater than the available supply. Scientists at the Utrecht University and the University of Louisville are seeking approval for this experimental face transplant operation to be performed in the Netherlands. A market based exchange rate will change whenever the values of either of the two component currencies change. Experts say the mouth and nose are the most difficult parts of the face to transplant." [7]. For example, in 1983 the Hong Kong dollar was linked to the United States dollar. However, the claim is the first for a mouth and nose transplant. If the value of the currency is "pegged" its value is maintained by the government; in question at a fixed rate relative to the other currency.

"Scientists elsewhere have performed scalp and ear transplants. Exchange rates for such currencies are likely to change almost constantly as quoted on financial markets, mainly by banks, around the world. A triangle of face tissue from a brain-dead human's nose and mouth was grafted onto the patient [5] [6]. If a currency is free-floating, its exchange rate is allowed to vary against that of other currencies. Isabelle Dinoire [4] underwent surgery to replace her original face that had been ravaged by her dog. Conversely if the price currency is strengthening, the exchange rate number decreases and the unit currency is depreciating. The world's first partial face transplant on a living human was carried out on November 27, 2005 [3] by a team of surgeons led by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard (the surgeon who performed the first successful hand transplant in 1998) and Professor Bernard Devauchelle in Amiens, France. Note that, using direct quotation, if a unit currency is strengthening (i.e., appreciating, or becoming more valuable) then the exchange rate number increases.

In 1997, a similar operation was performed in the Australian state of Victoria, when a woman's face and scalp, torn off in a similar accident, was packed in ice and successfully reattached.[2]. Quotes using a country's home currency as the unit currency (e.g., $1.4368 = £1) are known as indirect quotation or quantity quotation and are used in British newspapers and are also common in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Her parents raced to the hospital with her face in a plastic bag and a surgeon managed to reconnect the arteries and replant the skin." [1] The operation was successful, although the child was left with some muscle damage as well as scarring around the perimeter where the facial skin was sutured back on. Quotes using a country's home currency as the price currency (e.g., £0.6960 = $1) are known as direct quotation or price quotation (from that country's perspective) ([1]) and are used by most countries. An article in The Guardian recounts: "In 1994, a nine-year-old child in northern India lost her face and scalp in a threshing machine accident. For example, in a quotation that says the EUR-USD exchange rate is 1.2 USD per EUR, the price currency is USD and the unit currency is EUR. Photos. An exchange rate quotation is given by stating the number of units of a price currency that can be bought in terms of 1 unit currency.

In 2004 Sandeep was training to be a nurse. By some estimates, about USD 2 trillion worth of currency changes hands every day. Sandeep's doctor was Abraham Thomas, one of India's top microsurgeons. The foreign exchange market is one of the largest markets in the world. Sandeep arrived at the hospital unconscious with her face was in two pieces in a plastic bag. For example an exchange rate of 120 Japanese yen (JPY, ¥) to the United States dollar (USD, $) means that JPY 120 is worth the same as USD 1. Sandeep's mother witnessed the accident. In finance, the exchange rate (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rate) between two currencies specifies how much one currency is worth in terms of the other.

The machine caught one of Sandeep's braids and then pulled her head in. . The grass-cutting machine completely amputated her face and scalp. In cases where tariffs become an issue, this would be less the case. The world's first full-face replant operation was on nine year-old Sandeep Kaur, whose face was ripped off when her hair was caught in a thresher. For example, say the price of a good increases 10% in the UK, and there is also a 10% appreciation in the Japanese currency against the UK currency, the price of the good remains constant for someone in Japan despite increase in price for people in the UK. Scott Levin, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Duke University Medical Center, has described the procedure as "the single most important area of reconstructive research.". The real exchange rate is the rate at which an organization can trade goods and services of one country for those of another.

L. The nominal exchange rate is the rate at which an organization can trade the currency of one country for the currency of another. Dr. indirect quotation: Foreign Currency / Home Currency. The alternative to a face transplant is to move the patient's own skin from their back, buttocks or thighs to their face in a series of as many as 50 operations to regain even limited function and a face that is often likened to a mask or a living quilt. direct quotation: Home Currency / Foreign Currency. People with faces disfigured by burns, trauma, disease or birth defects might benefit from the procedure.

. A face transplant is a skin graft that involves replacing a patient's entire face with a donor face. BBC News - Woman has first face transplant. New York Times.

Doctors say they're ready to perform face transplant. Face transplants 'on the horizon'. Face transplants inch toward reality. University of Louisville Plastic Surgery Research.