The Pros And Cons Of Organ Transplantation

Imagine waiting in a hospital room for days, weeks, even months until the doctor comes in and informs you that they finally have a heart that they can use in your heart transplant. While it is difficult to obtain the organs needed in the procedure, the fact that organ transplantation is possible is a luxury in and of itself. The possibility that a piece of you can be removed and replaced by another is astonishing. This discovery of organ transplantation has affected and aided so many people since 1954 after the first successful kidney transplant and will continue to save lives in the future. Organ transplantation is definitely not a new idea. As far back as Greek mythology it has been mentioned. However, successful transplantation in humans would not happen until 1954 when Dr. Joseph E. Murray at the Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts performed a successful kidney transplant. Transplants of kidneys, livers, hearts, pancreata, intestine, lungs, and heart-lungs are considered a routine medical treatment. The idea of transplantation still is used and will continue to be used far into the future. The research and new discoveries

The advancements that have been made from 1954 are plentiful. Some examples of these life saving techniques include tissue typing and immunosuppressants. The lasting effects of these advancements results in longer survival rate and the possibility for more organ transplants. One effective immunosuppressant, cyclosporine, was introduced in the 1980s, and was a breakthrough in preventing rejection. Rejection is a major concern, for it can be fatal. This began the new age of organ transplantation. In 1986, nearly 9,000 kidney transplants were performed in the United States with a greater than 85 percent survival rate for the first year. The effects of the idea and discovery of organ transplantation reaches many