Abstract
This chapter is a summary and review of the argument made throughout the book. The argument is that the particular risks and burdens associated with vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) of facial tissue and upper extremities necessitates modifications to the standard understanding and practice of informed consent, and that those modifications can be helpfully guided by the concept of covenant. VCA arose in part because major tissue deficits of the face or upper extremities deprive persons of at least some of their ability to control the world, to savor the world, and to reveal themselves to others. The possibility of alleviating these forms of suffering provides a powerful motivation for developing treatment. Yet, in order to be successful, such treatment requires more than technical intervention by healthcare specialists. It also requires the commitment and efforts of the recipients and their circle of support. In order to facilitate this commitment and sustained effort, it is useful to focus on the formation and maintenance of a robust therapeutic relationship. The process of forming and maintaining this kind of relationship is what the book describes as covenant consent.
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Notes
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Benedict, J.L. (2017). Conclusion. In: A Revised Consent Model for the Transplantation of Face and Upper Limbs: Covenant Consent. International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine, vol 73. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56400-5_6
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