Talk:Organ transplant

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Contents 1 Redundant links? 2 Leg transplant 3 Rabies 4 Frequency 5 Transplant Kids 6 Dubious 7 About transplantation. 8 Unusual heart transplant situation 9 More dubiousness 10 Tooth Transplants 11 Mother-killers many organs were transplaned in Hungary. 12 How do they do it? 13 Michael Woodruff 14 Expansion needed

[edit] Redundant links?

There are in-article links to "Lung Transplant" which is a redirect to this article. Are they place-holders until the article is made? Ich but too lazy to log in.

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what other organ transplants can't be performed today? Skin transplants (skin grafts) are very common but also very limited... the whole skin can't be replaced although patches can. Also what about stomach, intestine, limbs (arms and legs), inner ear, etc.? Seems an exhaustive list of what can't be done at present, and articles on the research towards each, is worth as much attention as the w: whole-body transplant.

Both stomach and intestine transplants have been possible since the 1990's.--inks 01:25, 15 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Hi! :) All I have to say is, you can't take it with you!! I had a transplant from my twin (it was a kidney) Also, kidney's are the number one organ to fail, and it often accompanies the failing of other organs. (like liver goes, then kidney's)

[edit] Leg transplant

I am a thrity eight year old above knee amputee(right leg) which resulted from a tricycle accident about eight years ago. I would like to know if it is possible to have a leg transplant and just how could I go about it.

John Patmore

South Africa

[edit] Rabies

"Rabies tests are not conducted on organs destined for transplantation", from the Rabies article. My question: why not? Jawed 04:13, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Because it is not very prevalent, especially in the absence of a clinical history. I think the sentence ought to be removed.

By the way, it's not the organs that are tested but the donor's blood for antibodies or antigens. JFW | T@lk 10:58, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Ok, so it's not very prevalent. But if you were about to receive an organ, wouldn't you want a simple Rabies test to be performed? I sure would. Then why doesn't everyone request this, and as a result, why is this not standard procedure? Jawed 20:50, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Largely because they need to use the organs quite quickly, and there isn't time to test for everything. The risk of catching rabies is far less than the risk of dying on the waiting list if the organ is lost waiting for a rabies test. I'm sure they don't test for any number of conditions in addition to rabies. To answer your question, which wasn't aimed at me, I'd want an organ that arrived in the best possible shape. I'd be worried about rabies, in the same way I'd be worried about side effects from anesthesia (which might be more likely to kill me). Pakaran 21:47, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)

There have been a few cases of Rabies being transferred from donor to recipient. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=33793

[edit] Frequency

How many organ transplants are given each year, and which types are most common? --LostLeviathan 02:37, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)

These data are available at unos.org and ustransplant.org, linked from the article. I did not include them, as they change annually and I'm not committed to updating. The data at the links are updated continuously, and are the better source. Preczewski 01:12, 10 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Transplant Kids

Our son,now 10yrs old received both liver and small bowel transplants when he was 3,after a long struggle. We have setup 2 websites you may be interested in...

Aaron's Gift of Life our son's personal story... [== http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/Aarons_gift_of_life ==]

and our more recent site Transplant Kids aimed at children and where you'll find lots of info,stories,links and a message board...

[== http://www.transplantkids.co.uk/ ==]

Come pay us a visit...

Cat65

[edit] Dubious

Each year, hundreds of impoverished people sell their kidneys to later be used in illegal transplants. The size and scope of this current problem has yet to be fully understood or realized.

Um, first of all, understood or realized by whom? Secondly, can we see a source for this? --Fastfission 05:19, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] About transplantation.

Skin is an organ that is transplanted, is it not? It isn't mentioned under tissues commonly transplanted, and I am not sure enough to make an edit to the page fixing that. If anyone more knowledgable than I agrees or disagrees I would like to know.

[edit] Unusual heart transplant situation

Many years ago a friend of mine (Graham Charles Hunt, now deceased) was the recipient of a heart-lung transplant at Harefield Hospital in England, and his own heart was found to be in sufficiently good condition that it was patched up and transplanted into another patient (whose name I do not have). The surgeon was Sir Magdi Yacoub and the surgery took place in the mid-1980s (I'm trying to pin down the exact date).

EDIT: The year was 1987, and Graham's medical condition necessitating the surgery was Eisenmenger's syndrome, exacerbated by an earlier episode (several years before) of Septicaemia triggered by a bite from a semi-feral cat.

The two patients met - I guess someoneone thought it would be a great idea for the man who received the heart to meet the still-living donor. This must stand as a unique event in medical history.

Graham eventually succumbed (a few weeks after the surgery) to a combination of a viral infection and the fact that he was not able to be given the latest immunosuppressive drugs (his kidneys reacted adversely to them). I don't know what happened to the man who received his heart.

When I can establish enough verifiable fact I will amend the article accordingly.

PeterBrooks 02:21, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

A domino transplant is the word here. It's uncommon, but does happen. JFW | T@lk 20:56, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Interesting - I learn something new every day :). Generally, though, domino transplants appear to involve organs that are either perfectly OK or with some slight thickening of one wall. In Graham's case, not only was there a large atrial septal defect (the result of the existing fenestration being enlarged into a single opening), there was valve damage too (the result of the septicaemia), in addition to the wall thickening. I forget how many valves were damaged exactly. But it must have involved quite a lot of repair to use the heart for another person, hence Graham's concern about the recipient getting a retread...

What really surprised me is that Graham's situation is nowhere near as unique as we all (family and friends) thought. Dominos seem to occur relatively frequently at Harefield - in December of the same year (1987) there was another domino transplant. PeterBrooks 20:59, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

And I would recommend not editing the article without some external evidence, as we're heavy on properly referenced material at the moment. JFW | T@lk 20:58, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Understood - which is why I'm not editing the main article until I can establish some verifiable fact (my final sentence, above). But I saw no harm in raising my hand here first :) PeterBrooks 20:59, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] More dubiousness

Additionally, some authorities may mandate organ donation from unwilling donors such as prisoners. The size and scope of these problems are not well-documented and is probably not known.

I've heard about executed Chinese prisoners being donors, but no other claims about prisoners being forced donors. Which reference, if any, makes such an allegation? Andjam 13:07, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Tooth Transplants

I recall watching a documentary (probably in the 80s) about poverty-stricken individuals in Brazil selling their teeth for transplant into the mouth of those wealthy enough to be able to afford the procedure.

While that story may be apocryphal, it did make me wonder whether dental transplants merited inclusion in the article. Any views? PeterBrooks 20:53, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Urban legend? You find sources, we'll debate inclusion! JFW | T@lk 21:38, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

The Brazilian story may well be - no argument there - but autogenic dental transplantation seems to have a history according to this site:

http://www.northwayorthodontics.com/articles/autogenic_transplants

It mentions a report of an allogenic transplant dating from 1562 - I'll see if I can find anything further on allogenic transplants.

A search using this link reveals a few papers:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=search&term=%22tooth+transplant%22

While I'm at it, maybe hair transplants might qualify? :) PeterBrooks 22:23, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Mother-killers many organs were transplaned in Hungary.

Is it normal worldwide to transplant organs from murderers? Here in Hungary it has been recently revealed that a teenage boy who beheaded his own mother and then committed suicide by jumping off 3rd floor smashing his head had several of his intact organs used for transplantation. I think this is terrible and should not be allowed and should be banned outright. This is worse than any B- grade Hollywood fiction movie ever made about "killer hand" and "killer cornea", etc.

What if a recipient learns about it and becomes paranoid or psychotic due to the thought of such bloody legacy? He may rip self and tear off the organ in repulsion. Should the recipient commit a murder himself/herself there would be such a public panic and scandal that transplants would become anathema forever, just like nazi eugenics.

Another problem is the recipients were not told what they received. Imagine some of them were catholic, homicide and even more suicide is a gravely sin in catholicism, how their lives are ruined by the thought of their body is partially that of an irredeemable sinner. Imagine that friends abandon them when they learn about their percential murderness, collegue do not allow them to work with them out of fear, etc.

I think any US person who could receive a killer's organ without being told to agree first would certainly sue the hospital for a healthy 15 million bucks. I hope the hungarian recipients will also be able to gain a still handsome compensation in the court, although much less in value than in the USA. 195.70.32.136 10:20, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

What if we added a controversy / conspiracy section to the article? We could describe such issues as ethics and fears of transplant from suicidor / homicidor cadaver donors (e.g. cell based memory inheritence theory also known as the "killer arm" theory in Hollywood thriller movies, possible adverse effects on religious organ receivers when learning that the organ came from a suicidor).

Also the ethics of human-animal transplant could be addressed there, until a few years ago pig organs and tissues were routinely transplanted into humans, e.g. heart valves, until doctors realized this is apartheid against 1/7th of the world population (900 mio muslims + 27 mio jews for whom pigs are desacratedly dirty). Also there was some death-doctor who put monkey heart into a human.

I think the only final remedy is to develop cyber-mechanical implants and eliminate transplants entirely because of immuno-difficulties and ethics trouble. Cloning is also too dangerous to the society. Machine replacement organs are the way to go. 195.70.32.136 17:34, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Why in the world would someone care if their transplanted kidney (heart, lung, etc.) came from someone who was a murderer or a suicide? I am a kindey/pancreas recipient, and I know nothing about the donor (deceased), except that the donor was a male who was slightly yonger than I was. He could have been a murder/suicide. He could have been an absolute saint. Neither one has any impact on who I am beyond the fact that I am alive and healthy because of their donated organ. Either the donor, or their family, decided to donate the organs, and I benefit. I would be upset if I found that the organs had been taken without permission, but I trust that didn't happen in this case. Again, why would the character of the donor make any difference to me? –RHolton≡– 22:50, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How do they do it?

I'm writing a short story, and there are a few things I need to know, most of them being about transplants. (1) What instrument is used to make the incision in the "dead" donor? (2) What shape would the incision be in? (My guess was a Y) (3) Does the donor need to be the same blood type? (4) How long can the heart last, unfrozen, out of a body? (5) And, this one is only out of curiosity, after they get the heart in you, does it automatically start pumping, of do they have to do something? Hakusa (talk • contribs)

We don't have transplant surgeons who frequently contribute to Wikipedia, so this may not be most useful place to ask this question. (1) I suspect normal scalpels and diathermy are used on the "dead" donor, especially if there is still active circulation. (2) I'm not sure if the incision is a Y, but it would be sensible if both kidneys and/or the liver are being harvested. (3) Yes, absolutely. ABO incompatibility would lead to rapid rejection. (4) I'm not sure. (5) I'm not sure. I will ask a colleague who has worked at a transplant department. JFW | T@lk 01:31, 12 March 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure of the accuracy of the answer to (3) here. The ABO (strictly ABH) incompatibility (and there are numerous other blood groups that trigger reactions) is really only relevant when considering blood transfusions. It's probable that the HLA antigen/antibody or Major histocompatibility complex reactions would be more relevant (these are at the heart of tissue typing considerations when matching organs). Just my 2c. AncientBrit 19:33, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Thankyou very much.

ABH is a major consideration in organ transplantation - although not always 100% necessary, incompatible organs can cause complications, see: PMID 8342994 for example. --apers0n 05:32, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

I guess it depends on individual cases and risk assessments carried out by the transplant team. ABH incompatibility wasn't exactly an absolute contraindication in the example you quoted, it just appeared to increase risk factors for complications, and not for the organ that was the primary reason for transplantation to be considered. Such incompatibility used to be a major consideration in heart transplantation but that may not always be the case - indeed, for infants it seems to be a non-issue unless isohaemagglutinin titres are high (ABO-Incompatible Heart Transplantation in Infants). IMHO HLA would still be the main focus for compatibility. AncientBrit 19:28, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

(4) for heart transplants usually a time limit of four to six hours is used (this differs per organ). There is ongoing research and development on preservation methods which could increase the time limit to about 12 hours. (5) The heart starts beating spontaneously after blood flow and temperature are restored. --WS 00:36, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Michael Woodruff

The article on Michae Woodruff, a transplant pioneer is undergoing peer review. Please participate at Wikipedia:Peer review/Michael Woodruff! Thanks. Cool3 17:16, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Expansion needed

This article contains no discussion of survival rates or average survival times or average transplant survival times (except a few mentions of second surgeries) Rmhermen 18:43, 14 September 2006 (UTC)