Not appropriate for elective plastic surgery type 'glamor' improvements IMO.
But no dilema if there is a life changing facial disfigurement and consent of risk for all involved. The 'argument' that one could be left worse off if the tissue rejects makes sense, but what about the first guy who went onto a heart machine after his diseased heart was removed? He hadn't yet died and was still alive, although his quality of life was severly diminished. In every respect, that was strictly an elective procedure too. In each case, I personally wouldn't want somebody else telling me I couldn't take a chance at improving my own life. Who is qualified to decide exactly how much risk anybody is allowed to accept/take?
Now, perhaps a more complicated moral question arises in this scenario... if a white caucasian male receives a face transplant from a minority donor (you know, beggars can't be choosey... don't look a gift horse in the mouth, etc.), should he then attempt to take advantage of eligible federal, state and local assistance such as small business subsidies, tax breaks, forgivable loans to minorities etc.
Hey, with a little additional hormone therapy and a boob job, he/she could really have a fast track into billions of dollars of government and municipal job contracts. Might be worth it, especially since he/she would likely be rolling in the dough in only a few short years and could then remove the implants and stop the hormones. Sure, he'd risk being left with a feminine-looking face, but that could be considered a real plus in some communities. Besides, plenty of women sport mustaches and hairy legs.
So, yeah, you're right that could be a tough one...
Fodder for a bioethics debate? Face replacement.
Man I can't stand things that cuts the flesh and things like that.
). They had full face reconstruction there!!!
