Organ Transplant - Research Paper Example

?RUNNING HEAD: ORGAN TRANSPLANT A Research Paper on Organ Transplant Organ Transplant Organ transplantation is considered as one of the most significant contributions of medical science to the human race. It is a medical procedure that is defined as the ‘surgical removal of an organ from one person to another person’ which is needed in situations such as organ failure or organ damage caused by illness or injury. The process of transplantation can be applied to different organs such as liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, lung and intestine (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). The research paper is aimed to present the definition and the process of organ transplantation. In addition, a focus on the benefits and risks of the process is another important topic explored in the paper. The Process of Organ Transplantation The determination of the process of organ transplantation is an important subject matter in organ transplantation. It increases on consciousness and awareness on the issue of organ transplantation. There are different phases in the process of organ transplant. These include the determination of organ facts, the possible diseases, the devices, organ allocation, the waiting list and the hospitalization and surgery (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Determination of Organ Facts First is the determination of the organ facts. This includes the defective organs of the patients needing replacement. The common organs transplanted are liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, lung and intestine. Kidney is one of the organs susceptible to damage which can lead to the lost of function specifically the removal of waste from the body through filtration then urination. Regulations of blood pressure, blood volume and chemical or electrolyte composition of the blood, are included in the main functions of the kidney. Included in the kidney diseases that can lead to the need for organ transplant are polycystic kidneys, nephrosclerosis, chronic pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, diabetes mellitus, kidney stones, renal cell carcinoma ad Wilm’s tumor (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Liver is another organ susceptible to failure since it’s one of the largest organs with important function such as processing of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and storage of vitamins. It is responsible for the substance in blood clotting, bile for fat digestion and can break down toxic substances in drugs and alcohol. Diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis, acute hepatic necrosis, cirrhosis, metabolic diseases, portal hypertension, hepatitis, liver tumors and biliary atresia (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Pancreas is another organ with the main role of producing enzymes for digestion as well as insulin which functions as a regulator of blood sugar in the body. A need for organ transplant can be caused by diabetes mellitus type II. Heart is another organ of importance commonly transplanted. It pumps blood that distributes nutrients and oxygen and gathers wastes and carbon dioxide from different parts of the body. It can acquire diseases and malfunctions caused by coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, congenital or valvular heart diseases, and hypertensive heart disease. Also located near the heart is the lung which is described as a spongy organ in the chest that functions for breathing. A person needs organ transplant when the lungs are damaged through COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, primary pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Intestines are also included in the organs transplanted. It can be damaged through short gut syndrome and other malabsorptive bowel problems (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Waiting List of Organs One of the most important factors in the process of organ transplantation is the waiting list. In the study of the United States waiting lists of candidates by organ released on April 1, 2011, the largest composition is composed of people who needs kidney transplant, which constitute 78 percent of the total candidates for organ transplant. This is composed of 88,161 patients. Liver organ transplant candidates constitute 14 percent or 16,180 (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011; Wolfe, Roys and Merion, 2010, p.961). The inclusion and prioritization in the waiting list is one of the important issues in organ transplantation since it can determine the chance of a patient to receive an organ needed (Winters, 2000, p.11). The United Network for Organ Sharing’s Organ Center in one of the authorities in the said list. The national waiting list requires a physician’s referral, information on target transplant hospital and appointment schedule for evaluation of the patient. The result of the said evaluation is the decision for inclusion in the national waiting list (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Organ Transplant and Recovery When a patient is successfully included in the waiting list, the surgery is the subsequent focus of the process. In the said stage the health and condition of the patient is based on the medication and the success of the operation. Other factors such as the timing of the operation, the viability of the organ and the acceptance of the body are included in the important factors to be considered (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011; Winters, 2000). Upon determination of the different phases on the process of organ transplant, the different effects and risks are then needed to be explored and discussed. Effects of Organ Transplant Benefits and Advantages In the study of organ transplant, the benefits and advantages of the process can be considered as the justification for undertaking such a feat. The improvement of the quality of life and health of the patient can be considered as the defining reason for the process of organ transplantation. Through the provision of a change to have a new organ, the people who are terminally ill can be cared for. In addition, the patients in need of new organs can live a better and healthier life. Organ transplantation can ‘offer hope to end-stage organ failure and possible death of the patient’ (Petechuk, 2006, p.xi). Another benefit of organ transplantation is the presentation of the possibility for the application of new developments such as stem cell transplantation. In addition it had the possibility of curing diseases such as cancer, spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, and other debilitating ailments. Disfigurements can also be treated by organ transplantation, e.g bones and skin can even be transplanted to be able to give the patient a better chance in life (Petechuk, 2006, p.xi). Basically, in the issue of organ transplant, the benefits and advantages can be considered clear cut. It is to improve the change of for better life and save the person from life threatening diseases and organ damages. Risks and Dangers In the process of organ transplantation, there are risks and dangers that are needed to be overcome to be able to achieve the benefits of the medical procedure. Compared to the benefits and advantages risks and dangers in organ transplant can be found in every phase of the process. Priority in the Waiting List After the assessment of the patient and the need for organ transplant is determined, the patient is added to the waiting list. Being in the waiting list is one of the challenges and dangers involved in the process of organ transplantation (Winters, 2000, p.11). This can be attributed to the fact that there is a continuous scarcity in the supply of viable and transplantable organs. Thus, the number of available organs cannot ‘keep pace to the continuously rising demand for organ transplants’ (Klein, Messersmith, Ratner, Kochik, Baliga and Ojo, 2010, p.973). There are different factors that are considered in the process of choosing and prioritizing people on the waiting list. These factors are the type of the transplant needed by the patient, the severity of the patient’s condition, and the availability of the donor organs, thus, waiting can take weeks or even years (Winters, 2000, p.11). Rejection One of the most important risks and dangers of transplanting organs is the factor of rejection of the organ by the recipient’s body. The immune system of the body is extremely sensitive to the different attacks due to the probability of infection. Putting an organ from another person can be considered as a foreign body and can be attacked by the immune system. This process helps the body against dangers of diseased caused by viruses and bacteria. When the body specifically the immune system designated the transplanted organ as a foreign matter, it will be attacked. This can lead to organ rejection which is one of the reasons for the failure of organ transplant and can lead to death of the patient (Winters, 2000, p.11). Recovery The success of organ transplantation is related to the capability of the patient to recover. Factors and type of organ transplant can be considered as significant factors that can determine the health of the patient or the recipient. Organ rejection and infection can be detrimental to the survival of the patient. In terms of type of surgery, an example is the longer recovery of heart transplant compared to kidney transplant (Winters, 2000, p.12; Wolfe, Roys, and Merion, 2010, p.972). Risks for the Donor The risk in terms of the safety of the donor can be related to the living donors. This can be attributed to the fact that donation of organs can only lead to health risks for the donor to be able to save another life. The risk is specifically increased on the fact that the organ transplant can fail (Petechuk, 2006, p.111). In addition to the safety, there are legal and ethical issues related to organ donation from a living donor (Kanniyakonil, 2007, p.69). This is another significant risk in the process of organ transplant. Barriers and Obstacles in Organ Transplant In addition to the risks in relation to surgery, other issues that are included in organ transplant are “disincentives for living organ donation, low consent rates for deceased organ donation, failure to inform the public of the development of transplant policies and the lack of disclosure and analysis of center-specific and organ procurement organization (OPO) and limited ability to accurately discriminate donor quality (Klein, Messersmith, Ratner, Kochik, Baliga and Ojo, 2010, p.973). Conclusion Based on the research undertaken, the process of organ transplant had been defined and discussed. Important concerns and issues in every phase of the process had been presented. A clear focus on the benefits and risks of the organ transplants as well as the results and success had also been achieved. References Kanniyakonil, S. (2007). The Fundamentals of Bioethics: Legal Perspectives and Ethical Approaches. Scaria Kanniyakonil. Klein, A.S., Messersmith, E.E., Ratner, L.E., Kochik, R., Baliga, P.K. and Ojo, A.O. (2010). Organ Donation and Utilization in the United States, 1999-2008. American Journal of Transplantation, 10 (2), 973-986. Petechuk, D. (2006). Organ Transplantation. Greenwood Publishing Group. United Network for Organ Sharing (2011). Transplant Living Information. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www.transplantliving.org/beforethetransplant/qa.aspx Winters, A. (2000). Organ Transplant: The Debate Over Who, How and Why. The Rosen Publishing Group. Wolfe, R.A., Roys, E.C. and Merion, R.M. (2010). Trends in Organ Donation and Transplantation in the United States, 1999-2008. American Journal of Transplantation, 10 (2), 961-972. Read More