Essay on Xenotransplantation

The medical practice of organ transplantation has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 50 years. Each year the medical profession takes more risk with decisions regarding transplants, how to allocate for organs, and most recently conducting transplants on children with adult organs. “An organ transplantation is a surgical operation where a failing or damaged organ in the human body is removed and replaced with a new one” (Caplan, 2009). Not all organs can be transplanted. The term “organ transplant” typically refers to transplants of solid organs: heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and intestines. There are two ways of receiving an organ transplant: from a living human or an organ from a

Today we are in great need of a solution to solve the problem of the shortage of human organs available for transplant. The website for Donate Life America estimates that in the United States over 100 people per day are added to the current list of over 100,000 men, women, and children that are waiting for life-saving transplants. Sadly enough, approximately 18 people a day on that list die just because they cannot outlive the wait for the organ that they so desperately need to survive. James Burdick, director of the Division of Transplantation for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services confirms, “The need for organ transplants continues to grow and this demand continues to outpace the supply of transplantable organs”. The

In December of 1954, the first human organ transplant was performed in the United States between identical twin brothers. In the past sixty years, organ transplantation has become the gold standard in the treatment of organ failure from a number of underlying causes with dramatic improvements to recipients’ health and quality of life (Kaserman, 2007). From the first kidney transplant in 1954 to the late 1980’s, one of the biggest advancements was the use of cadaver organs. Organ rejection was the primary concern from the transplant team who knew that the use of cadaver organs posed higher risks of failure.

The shortage of organ transplants has been an ongoing crisis for years; the growing list of patients awaiting transplants has no end in sight, and the number of people dying while they waste away on the waiting list is not going to go down unless something changes.Society has turned away from alternatives to our archaic organ donation program, but there are other options available.The transplant community and society as a whole need to step back and rethink--to adopt a more open-minded views on organs as a resource in order to save lives and make meaningful changes to the national transplant program.

Recent medical advances have greatly enhanced the ability to successfully transplant organs and tissue. Forty-five years ago the first successful kidney transplant was performed in the United States, followed twenty years later by the first heart transplant. Statistics from the United Network for Organ Sharing (ONOS) indicate that in 1998 a total of 20,961 transplants were performed in the United States. Although the number of transplants has risen sharply in recent years, the demand for organs far outweighs the supply. To date, more than 65,000 people are on the national organ transplant waiting list and about 4,000 of them will die this year- about 11 every day- while waiting for a chance to extend their life through organ donation

Throughout time Organ transplanting has been an important medical procedure that has been present, not only in the United States, but around the globe. It is the process of surgically removing an organ from on patient and then transplanting it into the other. This practice is usually used when a recipient’s own organ fails to function properly or has

     Recently, the low numbers of human donor organs and short term mechanical “organ” replacements have given cause for

Xenotransplantation is a controversial medical procedure that has been debated by medical ethicists for many years. Xenotransplantation or Xeno is defined as the short-term transplantation of animal tissues into a human. It has been argued that the procedure is unethical because of the use of animal organs. However, twenty two people die each day waiting for an organ transplant, so we must act soon to save the thousands of lives that are still waiting. Xenotransplantation is a highly debatable procedure and offers a unique solution to the ever growing organ transplant list, making it a viable and worthwhile procedure.

The medical industry had been achieving more in the stage of medical advancements, though they are still in the early phase. Artificial organs have been one of those achievements. Although they have achieved such, artificial organs are not perfect. Most doctors as well as patients would prefer to replace a dying organ with a compatible human organ, rather than with an artificial or animal organ. Yet due to a there being less organs donated than recipients, artificial and animal organs are becoming more common in transplants. Most of this issue is because people are unaware of how organ donation works, the organs that can be donated, how many people are in need, and the advancements that have happened in the field. Organ donation saves hundreds of lives every year, but many lives are recklessly lost due to a shortage of organ donors.

Although people are dying on the waiting list for transplants (6) as xenotransplantation requires the farming and slaughtering of animals so that they can provide the organs, cells and tissue required many people believe that it is not worth the suffering of those animals. (7) The extent of the priority we give to human beings interest over animals is an important issue. Some Hindu and Buddhist groups oppose xenotransplantation for this very reason as they do not agree with harming animals for the benefit of others. (7) Even people who do not identify with a religion find that they oppose xenotransplantation as they have a strong affiliation with animal rights.

Xenotransplantation is something we don’t hear everyday. Xenotransplantation is a process where animal organs, tissues and cells are transplanted into humans for medical reasons. The most common animal to transplant organs into humans, with the most success, is a pig. It is a personal opinion whether or not xenotransplantation can help or hurt you. Before deciding whether to do the operation or not you will have to look at the pros and cons that are listed

The Donor Alliance Transplantation Science program has enjoyed incredible success during the past five years – the number of students reached has doubled and the program has received praise for its content and presentation. However, there is room for improvement and overcoming potential issues.

Xenotransplantation: a subject about which people hold strong contrasting views. Rare attempts have been made to transplant animal organs or tissues into human beings since the early years of this century. Curiosity surrounding the procedure known as Xenotransplantation has increased in the last few years because it is seen as one way of reducing the shortage of human organs for transplantation. Currently, this shortage strictly edges the potential of transplantation for treating human diseases. The worldwide requirement for organs is growing significantly. For example, in 2004, the United Network of organ sharing found that over 100,000 patients could have had an advantage from organ transplant, but only 29,000 were available. In 1963 Doctor Keith Reemtsma a surgeon who experimented with organ transplants. Thirteen chimpanzee’s kidneys were transferred into humans. Twelve patients survived for 60 days. One patient survived for nine months, so this option was considered a viable one.

Every year many people of all ages, have to be put on a donor list to get a replacement of a diagnosed organ that must be replaced to live. It is no secret that the organ transplantation list has a significant amount of people and every day a handful of them die. A average of twenty one people die everyday, according to the American Transplant Foundation. Many scientist and medically certified personals have been trying to come up with alternative genetic modified organs to give to needed patients, instead of waiting for a donor to come up. A alternate solution they have experimented with is xenotransplantation, the procedure that takes animal cells, organs, tissues, etc…, and replaces with what the donor needs, instead of having a human donor. The procedure has been experimented on for many years since the first transplantation between humans was successful. Nevertheless, xenotransplantation should not be considered because of the physiological beliefs, disease transmission, and of animal cruelty.

As of November 30th, 2017, 116,080 people formed the organ transplant waiting list. On average, twenty people on this list will die today. The number of people that need an organ transplant continues to grow; every ten minutes a new name is added to the list. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “only 3 in 1,000 people die in a way that allows for organ donation” (“Organ Donation Statistics”). In order for a deceased person to give organs, the organs must still be alive to donate. Organ transplantation improved greatly over the last century, but with an insufficient amount of organs available, it limits breakthroughs. In essence, new methods need to replace the unavailable organs. These methods drastically improve the process of organ transplantation, and in the future, the overall humans well-being.