Organ Transplant

In an organ transplant operation, an individual's organ is relocated from an organ transplant donor’s body to a patient’s body for the purpose of replacing the patient’s damaged, diseased, or absent organ. The evolving field of Regenerative Medicine is making it possible for scientists and engineers to create organs to be re-grown from the patient's own cells (stem cells, or cells extracted from the failing organs). Organs or tissues that are transplanted within the same person's body are called auto grafts. An organ transplant that is carried out among two subjects of the same species is called allografting. Allografts can either be from a living or cadaveric source.

Some organs cannot be transplanted such as the brain. In humans, the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, intestine, and thymus are organs that can currently be transplanted. Tissues include bones, tendons (both referred to as musculoskeletal grafts), cornea, skin, heart valves, and veins. Kidneys are the most common organs that are transplanted worldwide, while musculoskeletal transplants outnumber them by more than tenfold.

Organ Transplant Donors

Organ donors can be living or brain dead. Tissue can be retrieved from donors that are cardiac dead - up to 24 hours beyond the cessation of heartbeat. Unlike organs, most tissues (with the exception of corneas) can be preserved and stored for up to five years. This process is referred to as Banked.” Transplantation conjures up a number of bioethical issues, including the definition of death, when and how consent should be given for an organ to be transplanted, and the payment for organs for transplantation. Additional ethical issues include transplantation tourism and more largely the socio-economic setting in which organ harvesting or transplantation may happen. Organ trafficking has been a particular problem.

In the U.S., tissue transplants are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency sets strict regulations on the safety of organ transplants, mostly geared toward preventing the spread of communicable diseases. In addition to the strict regulations on the processing and distribution of tissue grafts, there are also regulations that guide the criteria for donor screening and testing. Currently, organ transplants are not regulated by the FDA.

Organ Transplant Challenges

Transplantation medicine is among the most challenging and complex areas of modern medicine. Transplant rejection is a common problem and is a key area for modern medical management. This occurs when a patient’s body has an immune response to the transplanted organ that may lead to transplant failure and the need to ultimately remove the organ from the patient. Transplant rejection can be reduced through serotyping to determine the most appropriate donor-recipient match and through the use of immunosuppressant drugs.

Throughout the world, there is a shortage of suitable organs for transplantation. Countries often have formal systems in place that manage the process of determining who is an organ donor and in what order organ patients can receive available organs.

Our Network

MedCareLink has partnered with highly skilled organ transplant surgeons that work out of internationally accredited hospitals and clinics worldwide. Our aim is to help our patients seek the best organ transplant surgery options at affordable prices.

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