ORGAN TRASPLANTATION

 WHICH ORGANS AND TISSUES CAN BE TRANSPLANTED?

The most commonly transplanted organs and tissues are kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas,

WHO CAN DONATE ORGANS?

Organs used for transplant surgeries are obtained from living people (usually related donors up to fourth degree) or from a cadaver. For example, healthy  kidneys are collected from a person who died of a heart disease and transferred to blind people or patients with a kidney disease. A healthy life for patients with severe heart, liver and kidney failure is possible with only an organ transplant.

Since number of organs donated is far insufficient with reference to organ transplantations carried out, donated organs do not satisfy the need. There are now over 40 thousand dialysis patients in our country (unfortunately, most of them are younger patients aged 20 to 40 and middle aged patients). They can survive by connecting to machines at regular intervals (3 to 4 hours in each session, 3 sessions per week).

This has, undoubtedly, significantly negative effects on their social lives. Renal transplant surgery not only ends this dependency, but it also prolongs the lifespan. Conditions of patients with advanced stage heart and liver diseases are heartbreaking. Since there is no adjuvant therapy option, such as dialysis, their lives come to an end shortly.

IS ORGAN TRANSPLANT SURGERY A GOOD TREATMENT METHOD?

Organ transplant surgery prolongs the life time, increases the quality of life and it is also far cost effective than other treatments used to manage end stage organ failures, such as dialysis. Accordingly, organ transplantation and organ donation is an important contribution to our country with regards to both health and economy. It also decreases dependency and labor loss is recovered. We know patients who have been living for two decades after the transplant surgery. They were single individuals who got married, had children and jobs thereafter. There are numerous similar examples with transplantation of other organs. Organ transplant is a good treatment modality for patients with advanced or terminal stage heart, liver and renal diseases.

Renal transplant surgery implies placement of a new kidney into our body with a surgical technique, as our kidneys cannot function to enable us survive and resume our activities. This method helps patients survive if no kidney can be found or until a kidney is found.

FALSE FACTS ABOUT RENAL TRANSPLANT

1) False facts about recipients:

1. Age: Any outpatient is a candidate of transplantation. Patient is thoroughly examined to determine if transplantation or dialysis is required and the final decision is made accordingly. Contrary to common belief, there are very scarce patients, for whom transplantation is contraindicated.

Patients with hepatitis B or hepatitis C: I am diagnosed with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. Can I be a candidate for transplantation? This is a very good question. You wouldn’t be so 5 years ago. However, transplant surgery is now an option for patients with Hepatitis B and C. Additional test are done, and if transplant surgery is considered to be a better solution, the transplant surgery is performed. Our team has performed transplant surgery in 90% of patients with said diseases.

1. Patients with diabetes mellitus:Can patients with diabetes mellitus be candidates for transplantation? One out of three transplant surgeries is performed in diabetic patients. Both diabetes mellitus and kidney disease damage same organs and tissues. Renal transplantation eliminates a heavy burden from the body. It takes at least 15 to 20 years until diabetes mellitus causes kidney failure, while the average life span of a transplant kidney is 15 to 20 years
2. Concerns with tissue incompatibility:A group of candidate donors think they can’t be transplanted because of tissue incompatibility. However, as a result of recent researches, tissue compatibility has lost its significance. If kidney is transplanted from a donor with “0%” tissue match, patient will survive a life very close to that of parents and life cycle of this kidney will be longer than that of cadaver kidney.
3. Incompatible blood group:Although some patients have donors, there is incompatibility in blood groups. We developed a new solution and started performing cross-over transplantation. This method allowed us to match patients with incompatible blood groups and perform transplant surgeries. We helped 20 patients in İzmir and 72 patients in Istanbul in 2.5 years restore their health.

WHO CAN DONATE KIDNEY?

Organs used for renal transplant surgeries are obtained from living people (usually related donors up to fourth degree) or from a cadaver. For example, healthy cornea and kidneys are collected from a person who died of a heart disease and transferred to blind people or patients with a kidney disease. A healthy life for patients with severe heart, liver and kidney failure is possible with only an organ transplant.

Since number of organs donated is far insufficient with reference to organ transplantations carried out, donated organs do not satisfy the need. There are now over 40 thousand dialysis patients in our country (unfortunately, most of them are younger patients aged 20 to 40 and middle aged patients). They can survive by connecting to machines at regular intervals (3 to 4 hours in each session, 3 sessions per week). This has, undoubtedly, significantly negative effects on their social lives. Renal transplant surgery not only ends this dependency, but it also prolongs the lifespan. Conditions of patients with advanced stage heart and liver diseases are heartbreaking. Since there is no adjuvant therapy option, such as dialysis, their lives come to an end shortly.