Although organ transplantation has been around for over 50 years, it is still a relatively new practice. Though ancient myths suggest that man has tried transplanting parts of his body, the practice of organ donation is more modern than that. The first successful organ transplant was between identical twins in 1954. Other firsts include liver, pancreas, and kidney transplants. The heart transplant was done by Christiaan Barnard in 1967, and the first multi-organ transplant took place in 1989.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have issued a Request for Information to help guide the development of future regulations related to organ donation. The goal of the process is to improve the lives of patients who require an organ transplant. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients website provides specific reports on different transplant centers nationwide. The website also provides statistics on waiting times, the number of deceased donors, and survival rates.
Before a transplant, a patient must meet certain criteria.
The person receiving the organ must be in immediate need, and the donor should have a compatible organ. Race, sex, or religion should not play a role in the process. A potential organ recipient must be fully inform and consented to the procedure. An ethically sound procedure should be perform on the patient. The recipient must meet certain requirements, including being in good health, not smoking, and getting plenty of physical activity.
Before organ transplantation became a medical procedure, there were a few things to keep in mind. The recipient must give informed consent to the surgery and postoperative care. If the child has a verbal disposition, he or she must also provide written consent. This will help ensure the safety of the organ. In addition to the medical team’s expertise, the parent must be fully engage in the preparation for the transplant. Besides providing a positive environment for the child to receive the organ, the parent must also ensure that the child gets the support need.
Living-donor screening is the first step.
The donor and recipient are evaluate for compatibility using a list of factors, including their health, age, and ethnicity. A person can undergo the procedure in many ways, including undergoing surgery without undergoing any medical treatments, such as undergoing chemotherapy. The process can take months or even years, so the waiting time may be considerable. In some cases, the patient can be treat with medication to avoid any risks of infection, while in others, the transplant could be a life-saving operation.
There are many risks to organ transplantation. In addition to rejection and possible organ failure, organs may be reject by the recipient. This reaction is known as graft-versus-host reaction, and occurs when the transplant organ is attack by the recipient’s immune system. Several medical professionals who perform the transplants have to undergo thorough evaluations to ensure that their patients are healthy and safe. The waiting list should be kept under the appropriate criteria for each patient.
The process of organ transplantation involves two patients.
In a live-donor case, the donor and recipient are separate patients. A living-donor should never be able to be a sibling, relative, or friend of someone with the same disease. While this is the only possible scenario, it is still possible to be a living-donor. The first step is the initial screening. It may be complete online, in person, or over the phone.
The procedures should be perform by experience physicians in well-equipper medical facilities. The patients should be fully inform about the transplant process. The transplanted organs should be in good condition and fit for transplantation. It is also possible to receive an organ from a deceased donor who has died of cancer. It is essential to note that an organ recipient is not a stranger to death. A living donor’s body is not the only organ that is need for a transplant.
A living-donor has to undergo an initial screening before they can be considere as a viable organ donor. This screening is done via phone, in person, and online. The screening process involves questions about the donor’s general health and medical history. Blood tests are also conduct to determine compatibility. A person with the same blood type as the recipient can still be a living-donor. It is crucial to discuss the process before transplantation.