Organ transplant
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what is organ transplant?
An organ transplant is a surgical operation in which a failed or damaged organ in the body is removed and replaced with a functioning one. The donated organ may be from a deceased donor, a living donor or an animal.
Organs that can be transplanted
- Heart
- Kidneys
- Liver
- Lungs
- Pancreas
- Intestine
- Thymus
Tissues that can be transplanted
- Bones
- Tendons
- Cornea
- Skin
- Heart valves
- Nerves
- Veins
Worldwide, the kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organs, followed by liver and then the heart.
Types of organ donors
- Person after death
- Living person related to the patient
- Living person unrelated to the patient
- Brain death person
Requirements
- Any age group
- Donor blood group should match recipient blood group
- Must be healthy
- Must be willing
Kidney transplantation
During a kidney transplantation the patient is put under general anesthesia. Then the donor kidney will be placed in the lower abdomen and is connected to arteries and veins from the recipient’s body. Then the ureter is connected to the new kidney and the new kidney will immediately start functioning.
Heart transplant
During a heart transplant the patient is put under general anesthesia and the chest cavity is opened through the rib cage in order to remove the diseased heart. All except the back part of the left atrium is removed and the new heart will be carefully trimmed and sewn to fit the remaining part of the old heart. Then the patient will be closely monitored to see how well the new heart is working and look out for signs of rejection
Lung transplant
During a lung transplant procedure, the patient is put under general anesthesia and a heart-lung machine may be connected to support the heart and lungs during the surgery. The machine oxygenates blood outside the body and pumps it back into the body. An incision is made in the chest and the diseased lung is removed and replaced with the healthy donor lung. Then the airways and blood vessels are reattached and the incision will be closed up.
Liver transplant
During a liver transplant, the patient is put to sleep under general anesthesia. An incision will be made in the abdomen and the blood vessels of the diseased liver are cut off. The diseased liver is replaced with the healthy donor liver. After the replacement, the bile ducts and blood vessels are reattached and the incision will be closed.
Corneal Transplant
During a corneal transplant the patient is put to sleep under general anesthesia. The doctor will hold the eyelids open using a special tool and cut the center of the cornea and remove it. The doctor will also cut the donor cornea and place it in the eye. Later the donor cornea will be stitched in place and the doctor will put a patch over the eye.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT): Stem cells are obtained by harvesting bone marrow under anesthesia.
Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT): Stem cells are mobilized to the periphery with cytokines (GCSF) and collected by apheresis.
Umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT): Stem cells are collected from the umbilical cord and placenta immediately after birth.
Common complications of organ transplant
- Rejection
- Wound problems
- Infection
- Anemia
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Cancer
The physician prescribes medications such as antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal agents to minimize the risk of infection. Additional drugs such as diuretics and antidiabetic agents may also be given as needed in order to control high blood pressure and glucose level. Survival rate depends on the underlying health condition of the patient and the type of transplant but overall survival rates after organ transplant has drastically improved throughout the years. Adult kidney transplant ranks the highest among all successful organ transplant procedures performed so far.