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Man Receives Artificial Face
jeffy124 writes: "Doctors in Kentucky have successfully implanted an artificial face. The surgery was required because of a rare fungal infection called mucormycosis in the man's sinus cavity that required removal his nose, eyes, cheekbones, upper jaw, and some teeth. The surgery required reconstruction of the mouth using tissue from his legs and facial bones were replaced with titanium bridging on which a prosthetic face is placed."
This type of thing makes me think that the government should get that great big stick out their collective butts and let embryonic stem cell and controlled cloning continue. Now, whilst I don't care to have genetically identical copies of myself running around wouldn't it be great if we could grow this dude another face and graft it back on? Wouldn't be perfect for sure, but it would be much better than a silicone prosthetic. Not to mention that heart disease, liver disease et. al. patients could greatly benefit. When the government throwing up road blocks to this sort of thing they are merely hurting people, and delaying the inevitable.
Then there's the "when is an embryo a person" debate that is best left elsewhere...
Hearts and kidneys are TINKERTOYS
Guy's got a new face, but collection agencies calling every day asking for their money (RTFA). Not too cool. Friend of mine got stuck with $100k of medical bills after his health insurance company said nogo to paying for a partial pancreas removal. He was filing for bankruptcy right around the time he died in a diabetic coma (half a pancreas will do that to you.) Can you tell I'm bitter?
Also, the article mentioned that he wears sunglasses to hide the fact that his "fake eyes don't blink." Article wasn't clear - was he blind, then?
Still, cool story that a face can be "transplanted", so to speak.