New guidelines for face transplants

LONDON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A Working Party of the Royal College of Surgeons of England has issued a second report endorsing moving cautiously forward with face transplants.

Their first report, issued in 2003, concluded that facial transplantation should not be attempted until further research could define the risks.

After the successful face transplant in France plus progress on all research fronts associated with the operation, the panel said it accepted the procedure's inevitability, but felt that establishing sound ethical principals was urgent.

"We hope that the second edition of our report, including the minimal requirements we define, will allow face transplantation to progress in a rational way that protects the interests of vulnerable patients," said Sir Peter Morris, a member of the panel.

The panel's requirements included appropriate skill levels for the surgical team, the ability of the medical center to provide optimal surgical care without financially compromising the care of other patients, set procedures for patient selection, and a way of presenting the risks involved so that patients could make a true informed decision. The panel also recommended expert psychological care for patients before and after transplantation, including long-term support whether the procedure succeeded or failed, and care and support for family members of both the donor and the recipient.

The document concluded with a request that others, both inside and particularly outside the transplant community, review and comment on the recommendations.

The text of the report is published in the January 27 issue of Transplantation.