Someday soon, you might be able to sign up as an organ donor and a face donor when you get your drivers license. The Verge has an interesting story on hand and face transplant government regulation.

The world’s first face transplant took place a mere eight years ago, but already the field is advancing at a rapid pace: surgeons in countries including France, China, and the US have all performed these intensive procedures with successful results. And now, the US government is getting ready to regulate the field of face and hand transplants the same way they do with conventional organ transplants.

In addition to making it easier to find a match, the new rules would also govern the technical expertise required for a hospital to conduct such surgeries, patient waiting lists, and the tracking of surgical outcomes. Right now, such outcomes are loosely monitored by a voluntary global database, and surgeons have published extensive reports on protocols and best practices. These more rigorous guidelines, which will be enforced by UNOS, would likely make the surgeries more common and even more successful.

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