Introduction and Statement of Purpose
Organ transplant surgery is defined as "the replacement of a diseased organ or tissue with a healthy, living substitute ...usually taken from a person who has just died" (Clayman, 1989, p. 1005). In the United States, about one-third of all transplanted kidneys are taken from living relatives of the patient (Clayman, 1989). Organ transplants are relatively new in medicine, but have come to constitute a major area of surgical practice used in treating a wide range and variety of presenting problems and conditions.
Clayman (1989) identified several factors that have contributed to the upsurge in successful organ transplants. Among these are: 1) the development of effective immunosuppressant drugs (e.g., cyclosporine) that reduce the risk of rejection of the transplanted organ; 2) steady improvements in techniques for matching donors and recipients; and 3) development of enhanced techniques for preservation of donor organs after surgical removal. Because of these advances, more and more organ transplants are being performed today than ever before with higher success rates (measured as lower levels of rejection after implantation) (Clayman, 1989). This report will examine the history and current state of organ transplant practice in the United States. It will draw upon the relevant scientific literature to describe a steady increase in both the number of such transplants and the aforementioned improvements in transplant success rates, as well as some ethical concerns that have arisen in this context.
Historical Overview of Organ Transplant Surgery
The earliest successful transplant operation was corneal grafting, carried out early in the twentieth century (Clayman, 1989). Kidney transplantation was shown to be technically feasible in the 1950s, but early transplant efforts failed because of rejection. In the 1960s, development of corticosteroid drugs and cytotoxic agents were fo...