The Ethical Considerations of Face Transplant Surgery

Monday, December 22, 2008
Topics: Health, Other
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The Cleveland Clinic made international headlines with the news that it had completed the most complex face transplant ever, and the first on U.S. soil. This kind of risky surgery that's still highly experimental doesn't just happen over night. Plans for the transplant started more than four years ago -- honing the procedure, finding the right patient, balancing the ethics. Dr. Eric Kodish chairs the Clinic's bioethics department. He worked extensively with the Dr. Maria Siemionow, the phsycian that led the procedure. I recently spoke with Kodish in his office about how they go about weighing the risks and benefits.