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Ethical and Policy Concerns of Hand/Face Transplantation

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Transplantation of Composite Tissue Allografts

Early in the nineteenth century, surgeons in Edinburgh excised a tumor from Robert Penman's lower jaw that had caused severe disfigurement of his face. A remarkable surgical innovation at the time, the patient not only survived but remained in excellent health for many years. Since then, phenomenal strides in composite tissue allograft have revolutionized reconstructive surgery. Success in hand transplantation prepared the way for the first partial face transplant in November 2005. These innovations are intended to optimize quality of life for a small, select group of patients whose “conditions cannot be adequately addressed by conventional reconstructive surgery procedures.”

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Bioethics and Health Law, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    Rhonda Gay Hartman (Visiting Professor)

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  1. Rhonda Gay Hartman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Surgical Research UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medicine Medical School, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey

    Charles W. Hewitt (Professor of Surgery Head) (Professor of Surgery Head)

  2. Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    W. P. Andrew Lee (Professor of Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery Chief) (Professor of Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery Chief)

  3. Department of Surgery UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey

    Chad R. Gordon (Chief Resident) (Chief Resident)

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Hartman, R.G. (2008). Ethical and Policy Concerns of Hand/Face Transplantation. In: Hewitt, C.W., Lee, W.P.A., Gordon, C.R. (eds) Transplantation of Composite Tissue Allografts. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74682-1_30

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