Patient expectations in facial transplantation

Area of Science:

• Reconstructive Surgery
• Transplantation Medicine
• Patient Psychology

Background:

• Successful reconstructive surgery hinges on meeting patient expectations.
• Facial transplantation, a novel procedure, involves unknowns and potential risks, heightening the importance of managing expectations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare patient expectations regarding quality of life, esthetic, and functional outcomes in facial transplantation.
• To identify discrepancies in expectations between individuals with facial disfigurement, reconstructive surgeons, and the general population.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among individuals with facial disfigurement (n=34), reconstructive surgeons (n=45), and general population controls (n=148).
• Questions focused on perceived quality of life for untreated disfigured individuals and expectations for facial transplantation outcomes.
• Statistical analysis, including Student t-tests, was used to compare mean scores across the three groups.

Main Results:

• All groups projected low quality of life for untreated disfigured individuals, with controls scoring lowest.
• The disfigured group expressed the highest expectations for quality of life improvement following facial transplantation.
• Discrepancies were observed in the perceived importance of esthetic and functional outcomes between disfigured individuals and surgeons, with surgeons placing less importance on both.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences exist between the expectations of disfigured individuals and reconstructive surgeons concerning facial transplantation.
• Surgeons must engage in open communication with potential facial transplant candidates to ensure their expectations align with the procedure's realistic outcomes.