Organ transplant: The human body is a living machine. And like machines, the human body is made up of various parts such as organs, muscles, bones, etc. An organ is a collection of tissues with a similar function. The human body is made up of a number of organs. A group of organs performing a specific function together form an organ system. Sometimes some organs or tissues fail to work or die completely, making survival difficult. This can be due to different medical conditions. In extreme cases of organ failure, the doctors take into consideration a medical operation called organ transplant under preventive healthcare system.
All about transplant
A surgical operation in which a damaged or a failing organ is removed and replaced with a functioning one is known as an organ transplant. The donated organ may be from a deceased, an animal or a living donor. In some cases, an artificial organ is used. Under preventive healthcare system, liver, heart, kidney, pancreas, intestine, lungs and thymus are the organs that have been successfully transplanted till date. The most commonly transplanted organ is the kidney. Removing organs from a recently deceased donor is known as cadaveric organ donation. Living organ donation involves the donation of a paired organ (like kidneys) or a portion of an organ (such as that of a liver or lung). The donor’s organ system is still able to function after the donation. Living donors are mostly related to the patient but that is not always the case.
Successful transplantation
In 1954, Dr Joseph Murray did the first ever successful transplant of any organ at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. He received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work. Richard and Ronald Herrick of Maine can be considered as the reason for his success. Richard Herrick was a Navy person and he became severely ill with acute renal failure. After receiving his brother’s kidney (Ronald), Richard lived for another 8 years before his death. Before this, 30 days was the maximum survival period of any organ recipients. The fact that Richard and Ronald were identical twins added to the success rate of the surgery as there was no need for any anti-rejection medications. After this successful transplant; two things became pretty clear. It became evident that transplants could be successful and one could now understand the role of anti-rejection/rejection medications, which was unknown to the doctors before this successful transplant.
Related concerns
While organ transplants is always a win-win situation for the receiver, the process of organ transplantation raises many ethical concerns. According to the World Health Organization, though organ transplantations promote health, yet the notion of “transplantation tourism” has the potential to exploit the poor and violate their basic human rights according to Articles 3 and 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In the 21st century world, organ donation is encouraged and appreciated worldwide. The governments of various countries are putting up different systems in place to smoothen the process of organ donation. However, the demand for organs surpasses the supply of the same. All we need are some effective steps to save our fellow beings and maintain everyone’s right to life through preventive healthcare system.
We truly hope you found this article helpful. To know more, you can always visit our website www.aanyawellness.com or book a preventive healthcare consultation session to get personalized and preventive healthcare solutions to your problems.
Which organ is hardest to transplant?
Lungs are the most difficult organ to transplant because they are highly susceptible to infections in the late stages of the donor's life.
What are the 4 types of organ donors?
The four different types are: living donation, deceased donation, tissue donation and pediatric donation.
Can an organ be donated twice?
In the case of many recipients, a healthy organ – even one that has been transplanted before – can still make a lifesaving impact.
Which is the easiest organ to transplant?
The kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organ.
What are the disadvantages of organ donation?
Immediate, surgery-related risks of organ donation include pain, infection, hernia, bleeding, blood clots, wound complications and, in rare cases, death. Long-term follow-up information on living-organ donors is limited, and studies are ongoing.