Face transplant weighed

London - A hospital ethics committee will decide by mid-August whether to grant approval for a full face transplant.

The ethics committee of London's Royal Free Hospital is considering a request from plastic surgeon Peter Butler, who has already been granted approval to carry out preparatory work with 28 patients, including psychological assessments.

Dr. Butler has not identified who will receive the treatment and when the surgery may be performed. He has said he would like to perform as many as four operations, according to news reports.