Face Transplants Too Risky To Continue

Face Transplants Too Risky To Continue Photo Via: https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-PS134_facefr_G_20160906150745.jpg According to the Amiens University Hospital in northern France, Dinoire died this past April after a long battle with an illness they didn’t specify, which left many to speculate as to whether or not the illness was caused by the transplant that took place over a decade ago. Part of the reason for the secrecy are the family’s wishes, as they wanted this part of her life to be kept private. However, the hospital did go public with her death when Le Figaro reported on it. The initial face transplant was the result of an attack from Dinoire’s pet Labrador which left her “severely disfigured.” The transplant gave her a new nose, chin and lips to fix the damage done by her dog. The operation was ground-breaking, to say the very least, and took a total of 15 hours. The two doctors that performed the surgery were Bernard Devauchelle and Jean-Michel Dubernard in the Amiens hospital. Of course, this wasn’t a total success right off the bat, as her first public appearance following the surgery displayed a very visible scar and her speech was slurred. However, the fact that she was able to speak at all was a big step in the right direction. Plus, the attempt at a smile was visible during her interview with reporters as well, as she claimed she had a “face like everyone else.” The operation took place on November 27, 2005 and since then, there have been almost 40 face transplant surgeries around the world. In the U.S., there was one in New York last year that was the first to include more areas of the face including the scalp and eyelids (functioning). So to say the surgery was a big deal is an understatement. That being said, these 30 something people to follow Dinoire in their face transplant surgeries now have concerns regarding her death. If it is transplant related, it’s important to know what caused it and how to prevent it. So for many, this death means more than just another funeral. So what aspect of the surgery could cause such an illness? As with any transplant, there’s always the possibility the body will reject the new organs. The same goes with face transplants. So to prevent this, medications are required for patients to take so their body doesn’t reject these organs. The problem? Medications have certain severe side effects and trigger illnesses. Le Figaro newspaper, which initially reported Dinoire’s death on Tuesday, also stated that she suffered through two cancers that were linked to her transplant and she began to lose use of her lips last year. And there are also questions surrounding the initial incident that led to the transplant, as Dinoire was “wrestling with personal problems” when her dog attacked her and she “took some drugs to forget,” so she was unconscious when the dog bit her. And while doctors warned her of the risks involved in such a transplant, she insisted on it due to her disfigurement. So while the surgery was without doubt a success, the long-term effects weren’t quite so positive. According to Dr. Jean-Paul Meningaud, who wasn’t involved in treating Dinoire, “The results were very good in the medium term, but the long-term results were not so good.” Meningaud has been involved in seven out of 10 face transplants in France, and has switched his ways completely. Now, he’s arguing to suspend these procedures. In his opinion, the science behind such procedures isn’t quite right, and doctors need to determine what the long-term benefits are and if it’s worth the risk. There’s a physical and psychological toll that these operations take on the patients, and according to him, we don’t fully understand the extent quite yet. For many patients, anti-rejection medications aren’t even working, so the procedure is oftentimes followed by several more follow-up surgeries. According to him, “It’s a rather high price to pay for the patient. It’s time to mark a pause.” In the case of Dinoire, her immune system rejected the transplant two times. However, a year afterwards, she was gaining mobility and sensitivity and bought a new pet. According to Dinoire, “I can open my mouth and eat. I feel my lips, my nose and my mouth … I have a face like everyone else. A door to the future is opening.” But was that door opened too soon? Only time will tell. (Cover photo via bbc.com)