US surgeons ready to perform first face transplant

An American surgical team was ready to perform the world’s first face transplant, its chief researcher said today.

Dr John Barker, from Louisville University in the US, today said all the major research criteria had been completed over the past eight years.

“We believe we are ready,” he said in London today.

“It’s ready to go. The right team could do this today.”

However, Dr Barker said he fully supported the call by the Royal College of Surgeons of England who today said they required more research into the risks of the operation.

“We have to be cautious, we have to move slowly.

“We have spent eight years doing research on this so that’s what research is, it’s cautious, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.”

Dr Barker said he could not and would not name a date when the first face transplant would be carried out because it would create unnecessary media attention. However he said the world-wide search had already begun for a suitable person on whom the first operation could take place.

“We don’t have a patient currently waiting to get a face transplant,” he said.

“This type of facial disfiguration is not common.”

Dr Barker denied there was a “race” against British surgeons to perform the first operation of this kind, saying that had been completely created by the media.

“If I were in a race, I think I should know about it, I don’t know about it so we are not in a race,” Dr Barker said.

“All we are trying to do is make sure we have considered every angle of this. If we turn out to be the first, great, if not we don’t.

“All I hope is that whoever is first has put as thoughtful processes in place as we have.”

Today’s report from the Royal College of Surgeons did not rule out the prospect of the surgery in the future but said more consideration was needed of the psychological impact on the recipient and the donor family.