Need a face transplant? No, this is not the beginning of demeaning insult but now an actual possibility. The first US patient has undergone a face transplant and the medical world is facing its usual bout of controversy. A woman suffered from severe head trauma resulting in the loss of teeth, an eye and four out of her five senses. During a 22-hour operation, about 80 percent of her face was replaced and the face of a dead woman was transplanted onto the patient. Although this is only the fourth case of face transplants in the world, there continues to be a lot of debate over the issue.

Some controversy has surrounded the issue of face transplants, in part because face injuries are not seen as life-threatening. In this case, the doctors said, the patient had virtually no life because of her injury.

"We know that there are so many patients there in their homes where they are hiding from society because they are afraid to walk to the grocery stores, they are afraid to go the the street," Siemionow said. "Our patient was called names and was humiliated."

"We very much hope that for this very special group of patients there is a hope that someday they will be able to go comfortably from their houses and enjoy the things we take for granted."

Today - medical deformities; tomorrow - plain old ugly people.