Face transplantation: psychological assessment and preparation for surgery

Face Transplantation: When and for Whom?

“…Thus, while generally supporting the conclusions of this essay which are concordant with our own assessment (Clarke and Butler 2004), we would argue that their own rigorous ethical standards require the authors to demonstrate a more thorough protocol for psychological assessment which takes account of the issues above and ensures that they are not, in effect, selecting patients who (a) are at risk of coping poorly with the procedure or (b) could achieve the objectives of face transplantation via noninvasive psychosocial intervention (Clarke and Butler 2004).…”

Ethical Considerations in the First American Face Transplant

“…Although such compliance cannot be reliably determined preoperatively, certain factors in solid organ transplantation have been shown to be significant in predicting posttransplant noncompliance. These are adolescence, preoperative noncompliance, absence of a good social support system, and substance abuse [4][5][6]8 ( Table 1).…”

“…Evidence suggests that a lack of good coping skills for those with facial deformities is more detrimental to social functioning than is appearance, and that those who have shown an ability to develop good coping skills are more likely to adapt to future changes, including the uncertainties of face transplant. 4,6,7 To reduce the risks of face transplantation, especially those of immunosuppression, a face transplant candidate must be compliant with the posttransplant medical regimen and vigilant about the sequelae of immunosuppression. Although such compliance cannot be reliably determined preoperatively, certain factors in solid organ transplantation have been shown to be significant in predicting posttransplant noncompliance.…”

Uterus transplantation trial: Psychological evaluation of recipients and partners during the post-transplantation year

“…It is recognized that the outcome of any transplantation is highly associated with the recipient's psychological state (9,10). Protocols for psychological assessment and evaluation of recipients already exist (11,12) for other types of non-life-saving transplantation, such as the face and hand. The psychological questionnaires we used for the UTx couples were based on data and research in other transplantation fields but finally determined by the specific situation of UTx, which resembles and differs from other types of transplantations.…”