What is a transplant?
An organ transplant is a surgical operation where a failing or damaged organ in the human body is removed and replaced with a new one. When the organ is finally transplanted the body has to fight off rejection. Rejection means the body is fighting off the new organ. (Link 1)
History
There were many failures at the start of organ transplants but by the mid-20th century Doctor’s were successfully performing organ transplants (Link 6).in the 1900’s Dr. Emmerich Ullmann found out that transplanted organs lasted longer the closer the donor and recipient were genetically related. (Link 2) Doctors still kept experimenting up until 1954 when the first successfully kidney transplant happened (link1). Some of the other organs that Doctors were transplanting were livers and hearts. In the 1960’s and 70’s antirejection drugs helped increase helped increase the success rate of organ transplants (Link 1).A drug that helped the success of organ transplants was called cyclosporine which was developed in the 1970’s(Link 7).Something that also …show more content…
The definition of “brain death” according to the US national library of medicine is. Someone who has irreversible loss of function of the brain(link 11).This brings in something called the dead donor rule. The dead donor rule states that patients be declared dead before the removal of organs (link 12).Once a person dies there organs can be donated. Before the person dies he/she gives consent to donate there organs. When Brain death occurs that person can stay on life support till they die and the organs can be taken. If the persons wishes are unknown the doctor will ask the family to give consent to donate the organs. The ethical issues that come from this are respect for the dead and their wishes, respecting the family's wishes, benefitting others and the common good. In light of this, (link