A new slant on the term "Off ya face!"

Scalpels poised for world's first face transplant...

Published on May 26, 2004 By Theophilus Thistler In Current Events

Tinkering around the rolling expanses of the Internet this morning, I found this interestingly creepy story that grabbed my attention. It seems that a team of surgeons and researchers from the University of Louisville are currently applying to perform the first live human face transplant. Upon approval, they will begin to search and screen for prospective patients for the procedure which will take up to 36 hours in total and just reminds me of that tops movie Face/Off with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage.

I love that scene where JT is skewered by a rocket, driven out the side of the train and blows up in the countryside somewhere! I don’t like JT so much as an actor, but Nicholas Cage is top ranking up there with Kevin Spacey and a few others in my book. Anyways… back on subject…

The team has been practicing the procedure by face swapping on a few bodies donated for medical research. They transplant the skin, undercoat of fat, arteries and veins including brows, lids, nose, mouth and lips. Depending on the severity of some cases, they will even transplant facial nerves, cartilage and muscles if need be.
Now you wont have to worry too much about previously aesthetically challenged people running around with your uncle’s face or anything like that because an identical face swap would be quite hard to do due to bone structure, nerve and muscle factors. The result will be a combination of the two faces. In effect, a ‘third face’ is created.

Research has shown that the benefits of the transplant on deformity and burns victims outweigh the infection and rejection risks and is a much better overall solution than grafting the skin from other parts of the body, as this does not allow for much (if any) nerve function and movement.

I’m just wondering if any beautiful actors, actresses or musicians who unfortunately die young from a drug overdose or fatal accident affecting the lower parts of their bodies, will ever donate themselves to help a brutha out? Want to make it in showbiz? You need to have a showbiz face! What better way than to just use someone else’s face that has already made it? Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson living for two lifetimes? I think I just invented my own personal nightmare.

You can check out some more info here… Link

Also, a few famous and infamous Aussies are having a birthday today if anyone cares... I don't really, but it's interesting all the same.

Most un-notedly... Pauline Hanson (1954--), founder of the Australian One Nation political party. "I don't like it, when you turn my voice about. I don't like it, when you vote One Nation out.... My shopping trolley, murdered. My groceries, just GONE!"
Neil Finn (1958-), New Zealand singer and frontman for the now disbanded Crowded House. IMHO they put out some absolute shiners while they were about.
Pat Cash (1965--), Australian tennis champion and agitator of The Poo (known by his Mum as Mark Anthony Philippoussis).

If you were deformed in some crazy accident, and you survived, whose face would you have transplanted to replace your own?

T.T.

Comments

new-age nomad

on May 26, 2004

I tryed to email you this, but it didn't work.

I wanted to say how much I enjoy you, and some of the comments you leave on my blog are very encouraging.

Thanks for being kind and....well....just being a good guy.

It gives me faith in people. Plus, you're fun! Nice blog.

Trinitie

Theophilus Thistler

on May 28, 2004

Thankyou Trin

Glad I could be an encouragment!

kel

on May 30, 2004

I........am.......felling slightly disturbed....

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