EFFECTS OF ORGAN TRANSPLANT

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ABSTRACT

Organ transplantation refers to the movement of an HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_%28anatomy%29” o “Organ (anatomy)” organ from one body to another or from a HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_donation” o “Organ donation” donor site to another location on the patient’s own body, for purposes of replacing the recipient’s damaged or absent organ. The HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_transplantation” o “Heart transplantation” heart, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney_transplantation” o “Kidney transplantation” kidneys, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_transplantation” o “Liver transplantation” liver, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_transplantation” o “Lung transplantation” lungs, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreas_transplantation” o “Pancreas transplantation” pancreas, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intestinal_transplant” o “Intestinal transplant” intestine and HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymus_transplantation” o “Thymus transplantation” thymus are organs that can be transplanted. Bones, tendons (referred to as musculoskeletal grafts), cornea, skin, heart valves, and veins are examples of tissues that can be transplanted. The kidneys however are the most commonly transplanted organs, followed closely by the liver then the heart.

Problems of HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transplant_rejection” o “Transplant rejection” transplant rejection, in which the body has an HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_response” o “Immune response” immune response to the transplanted organ, possibly leads to transplantation failure and the need to immediately remove the organ from the recipient. However, this could be reduced through HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotype” o “Serotype” serotyping to determine most appropriate donor-recipient match and through usage of HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunosuppressant_drugs” o “Immunosuppressant drugs” immunosuppressant drugs.

Transplantation brings about a number of HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioethical” o “Bioethical” bioethical problems, including death’s definition, the when and how consent that should be given for an organ to be transplanted and payment for organs for transplantation to take place. Transplantation tourism and the socio-economic contexts in which organ harvesting or transplantation occurs are the other ethical issues. A particular problem is HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_trafficking” o “Organ trafficking” organ trafficking. Some organs, such as the brain, cannot yet be transplanted in humans which means that individuals with brain problems may never get any help.

There is an increased risk of introducing diseased organs to recipients because donors often hail from poorer populations and are not in the best position to receive proper health care regularly. Organ dealers may evade processes involving disease screening. Source and method of obtaining organs to transplant are major ethical issues to consider, as well as the HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributive_justice” o “Distributive justice” distributive justice notion. The HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization” o “World Health Organization” World Health Organization argues that “transplantation tourism” has the potential to violate HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights” o “Human rights” human rights or exploit the poor, to have unintended health consequences, and to provide unequal access to services, all of which ultimately may cause harm.

CONCLUSION

Given most transplants go a long way to help individuals, I would highly recommend that organ transplants stand. Much as there are problems associated with them, they too tend to help individuals with effects. On the other hand, they are a source of income to donors.

Works cited

Budiani-Saberi, Da; Delmonico, Fl (May 2008). “Organ trafficking and transplant tourism: a commentary on the global realities.”. American journal of transplantation 8 (5): 925–9.

Turnbull, Barbara (24 Feb 2012). HYPERLINK “http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/1136032–kidney-transplant-chains-shorten-the-wait-for-wellness” “Kidney transplant chains shorten the wait for wellness”. healthzone.ca. Retrieved 27 Feb 2012.