Heart & Kidney Transplant | American Organ Transplant Association

Medical Care ? Why Is Patient Information Treated At Par With National Secrets?

A patient having his blood pressure taken by a...

Visiting a hospital for an illness or to undergo a surgery is never a pleasant experience. However, certain unreasonable practices of doctors and nurses complicate the issue and make it even more difficult for the patient and his or her family members to overcome the illness.

The tendency to completely hide information from the family members and the patient is a very big problem. It is possible for a complete stranger to walk in to the hospital and obtain more information about the patient than his or her family members. The professionalization of medicine means that the human body is taken care of like a machine.

The faulty component is identified and the remedial measure is taken care of. Well, the medicine will never bother to question why the illness or how a relapse can be avoided. However, the concerned family members of the patient will definitely be interested in some additional information.

To be fair to doctors, the sheer workload and demand for services makes it impossible for personalized treatment and attention. However, the fact that even basic information about the surgery and the state of patient is considered classified information does not make sense.

Beyond a certain limit, the patient and the family members crack and insist on immediate solution for their grievances. Medical institutions would do well to acknowledge this problem and create the necessary infrastructure to take care of this issue. Nine times out of ten, five minutes of patient hearing and five minutes of detailed explanation is enough to allay the concerns of the patients and the family members.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Medication Programs Tagged With: Hospital, Medicine, Patient

Complications Following Your Kidney Transplant

Image via Wikipedia

A kidney transplant is a complex surgical procedure that takes months of planning. Despite the extensive planning there are still a number of complications that can happen as a result of this operation.

No matter what the medical reason, if your doctor or health care provider has recommended that you have a kidney transplant you should educate yourself on the possible complications that could happen after surgery. Here’s a look at those complications.

Kidney Transplant Rejection

An organ transplant rejection is the most common complication that happens after a kidney transplant. This is when the host body does not recognize the donated organ. Most doctors will take the necessary steps to ensure that the kidney is recognized by the body such as running tests, making sure the organ is a match and prescribing the proper medication for after the surgery.

If your health care provider did not take these steps you may have a malpractice case and you should seek the advice of a Los Angeles malpractice attorney.

Infections

Infections are another common complication of kidney transplants. Any type of surgery leaves the body tired and open to infections. However, with the huge incisions that are a part of kidney transplants the chance of infection is really high. Doctors and health care providers will usually prescribe an antibiotic just to make sure no infection will take place and jeopardize the operation.

Infections and organ rejections are two of the most common complications of kidney transplant surgery. However, other reported complications from this major surgery can include ulcers, gastrointestinal problems, and an imbalance in electrolytes.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Medication Programs Tagged With: Kidney, Kidney transplantation, Surgery

The Benefits of Organ Transplant

As human beings, our bodies are vulnerable to a number of diseases, some of which are very debilitating and painful. In extreme cases, these diseases do not only cause untold pain and suffering to the patient, there is the possibility of organ damage. This is a possible scenario in a long-standing systemic hypertension or diabetes. Some other times however, organ damage may result from poisoning from toxic compounds such as drugs and heavy metals such as mercury and lead. Whatever the source of organ damage, the underlying fact is that some organs are so vital that when damaged, they have to be replaced by that of a donor and that explains why there are millions all over the world in different countries who are on the waiting list for donated organs. Organ transplantation is one of the most amazing advances made in medicine.

Organ transplant comes with various benefits and advantages. This is however not to say that there are no disadvantages as that is far from it. Nevertheless, we will limit ourselves to the benefits. One of the most obvious benefits of getting an organ transplant is that the patient is given another chance at a better life. For most patients that have received donated organs (especially hearts), an overwhelming percentage of them usually always longer life spans in addition to a better quality of life. In the past, patients would have died of many conditions without organ transplants but because of this process, more patients now have their lives prolonged.

Another benefit of organ transplant is that they help in reducing hospital costs. For example, in a patient that has end-stage renal disease (kidney failure), it is always better to get a kidney transplant which is cheaper on the long term. Without the kidney transplant, the patient may have to take repeated dialysis in the hospitals or renal centers, which costs more.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Medication Programs Tagged With: Disease, Kidney, Patient

The Challenges of Organ Transplantation

From the beginning of time, there has been no other period during which man had been so developed and sophisticated in science and technology than the 21st century. The fact is that there is virtually no aspect of our lives that is not influenced in one way or the other. And since it is also a well-accepted fact that health is wealth, it does not come as a surprise that medicine is one of the areas where giant strides have been made and one of such technological marvels is organ transplantation.

Without any bit of doubt, millions of lives have been saved by using this process of organ transplantation but the fact is that the process is not perfect yet as there a number of challenges that face all the stakeholders involved. For the physicians that will carry out the operation, there is the nagging issue of bioethics that is hotly debated by professionals all over the world. This ethical disagreement is even more magnified when stem cell therapy is the issue to be discussed. Religion and cultural values present some of the most challenges to organ transplantation.

For the patient, there is the problem of getting the right, suitable donor and on time too. Although sounds simple, this is not an easy affair at all particularly in countries that organ donation is controlled and rationed by the government. Thus, many patients have to die while waiting for that donor that never comes. Even when a patient is lucky to find a suitable donor, there are some other challenges. One of these is the surgical operation itself, which has its own complications. In a case where the surgery is successful, the patient must be placed on drugs that will suppress the immune system so that the body does not destroy the foreign organ or tissue.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Medication Programs Tagged With: Organ donation, Organ transplantation, Stem cell treatments

Before You Go for that Organ

In any thing we do in life, especially before taking very crucial decisions, it is quite important for us to think deeply before taking that great leap. This is more important in matters that concern our health and well-being. In the world of today, great advancesin medical science and technology have made many hitherto procedures commonplace. In this realm is organ transplantation. Fora patient that is in the merciless jaws of pain, any remedy may be alright just to get rid of the pain.Therefore, it is very easy for a patient to make rash decisions out of frustration, anxiety, depression or even pain. If you are considering organ transplant, then you need to decide wisely as this is a step that concerns your very existence.At such times, a patient may be dazed, confused, elated or even enthusiatic about the prospect of organ transplant. Thus, the first thing that you need to do is to discuss the procedure with you caregivers and family members. It is important that you know all the pros and cons of the procedure, which is a major surgical operation in many cases. You need to be assured that the transplant is the best for you and is absolutely necessary, as the process is not entirely without risks.Once you have been able to sort this out, the next step is how you will source for a donor that is very compatible. Depending on the organ needed, transplants can be very exorbitant. The financial implication is enough to discourage many patients, as itcan be as high as hundreds of thousands of dollars in many cases. Therefore, this is an aspect that you have to solve. For thepost-operative care, you will have to set some money aside for the purchase of immunosuppressant drugs that will ensure that your body does not reject the tissue or organ.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Medication Programs Tagged With: Medicine, Organ transplantation, Surgery

The Marvels of Medicine – Organ Transplants

For those that are thrilled byautomobiles either as a driver or dealer, you will also know that your prized Bugatti Veyron is made up of various spare parts. When necessary, some of these spare parts have to be replaced for example when they are old, worn-out or simply out of fashion. As a result of the incredible progress made in science and technology, a lot of interesting scenarios have been observed. The human body can now be viewed as a car with spare parts that can be replaced.That is one of the marvels of modern medicine. The process of organ transplantation has ensured that various parts of the humanbody can be replaced when they become diseased, destroyed, poisoned or rendered useless for whatever reason. And you will surely be perplexed by the number of ‘spare parts’ that are available. Some of these include the heart, cornea, skin, liver, pancreas, kidney, bone marrow, thymus and a host of other organs and tissues.Even though not all the organs and tissues of the body can be transplanted, it is not impossible that in the nearest future, virtually all the parts of the complex human body will be available for transplantation. This is even truer when one considers the giant leaps made in the field of stem cell research. Considering the fact that organ transplants that are now done routinelywere once seen as impossible dreams points to the fact that the future is more promising as far as science is concerned.Thus, the story is not that rosy when it comes to organ transplantation. The funny thing is that some physicians are against this practice pointing out issues of ethics although this is been gradually resolved. However, stiff resistance to this novel form of therapy is coming from the religious institution, which is vehemently opposed, to stem cell research. It is only time thatwill tell who will blink first.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Medication Programs Tagged With: Bone marrow, Bugatti Veyron, Organ transplantation

Disadvantages of Organ Transplantation

The influence of modern science and technology on our lives, especially at a time like this is one that can only be denied by the most ignorant or deliberately mischievous. In a century where everything is governed by high-tech computers, the future is determined by those with thenecessary skills. The prestigious field of medicine is one that has witnessed tremendous and mind-boggling scientific and technological advances. One of these is organ transplantation.Organ transplantation has been around for some time but it has now been refined to 21st century standards. Without doubt,organ transplantation has helped to save many lives and many more will be saved using the procedure, there are various disadvantages. These disadvantages are so huge and pressing that they cannot be swept under the carpet. This should not come as a surprise as every advancement of the modern age comes with both advantages and disadvantages. It is just that in most of the cases,the pros are far more than the cons.One major disadvantage of organ transplantation is the possibility of organ rejection after the transplant has been done. Even though organ transplantation is now advanced, many workings of the human body still remain mysterious to the scientists. Therefore, it is very possible that even after spending millions to get a suitable donor and carrying out delicate surgeries, thebody may destroy that kidney or chunk of liver. The simple reason for this is that the body sees the transplanted organs and tissues as foreign and in a perfectly defensive fashion, mobilizes the ruthless army of the immune system against the ‘invader’.In many cases, expensive immunosuppressant drugs are needed to prevent this unwanted reaction.Another disadvantage is the chronic shortage of organs from suitable donors. Thus, it is quite common to see patients die while waiting for that precious heart or kidney that never comes until they come knocking at death’s door.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Medication Programs Tagged With: Immune system, Immunosuppressive drug, Organ transplantation

Developments in Organ Transplantation

For some time now, the world of medicine has been abuzz with interesting news of amazing discoveries and groundbreaking procedures. And with all honesty, some of these procedures are life-saving in addition to improving the quality of life. This is very important in a world like our where billions of people are plagued with one disease or the other. One of such recent advancements is organ transplantation.

Once considered outrageous and vainly fantastic, organ transplantation is now a very common procedure and there are transplants for organs like the liver and intestine to skin tissue. It is as if the re is a booming market for spare parts of the human body. Right from the time the first organ transplant was carried out in modern history, quite a number of developments have been observed.

One of the most obvious of these is the sheer diversity of organs that are available for transplantation. Although the procedure started with the traditional heart and kidneys, there are now transplants for the cornea, skin, thymus, liver, bone marrow and many more. In fact, if recent developments and findings in stem cell research are anything to go by, it will not be too long before transplants are available for every organ and tissue in the body. This is possible considering the fact that stem cells are pluripotent that is they have the ability to develop into any other cell in the body. The problem now for scientists is how to ‘tease’ a stem cell to develop into a nerve, muscle or bone.

Another development that has been witnessed is that black markets have cropped up in various places in order to satisfy the never-ending demands for organs, especially the kidney and liver. It has been observed that some citizensin the economically-disadvantaged Third World are willing to sell their organs to ultra-rich clients in places like the Middle East and Western Europe who are in dire need of organ replacement.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Organ Transplant Tagged With: Middle East, Organ, Organ transplantation

After the Transplant

Some few centuries ago, millions of people lost their lives to diseases that are now routinely taken care of. In the past, the loss, infection or damageof a vital organ usually translates to death. However, in the modern world that is ruled by the powerful forces of science and technology, mortality rates have dropped drastically. This is because of many life-saving procedures in the field of medicine, one of which is organ transplantation.

Thanks to this procedure, millions of lives have been saved and even more will benefit in the nearest future. However, it must be emphasized that the process of organ transplantation is laden with challenges. These challenges exist before, during and even after the transplant. It is quite tempting to think that after the transplant, it is all over but that is not the real case. There is more to it than meets the eye even after a successful transplant.

One of the most important challenges that must be overcome after a transplant is organ rejection. Although considerable attention must have been put into selecting a suitable organ that will be close to the ideal for the patient, there can be an unwanted reaction between the transplanted organ and the host’s immune system. This is because the transplanted organ is regarded as ‘foreign’ by the body, which seeks to destroy it. In some cases, the transplanted organ may have to be removed to prevent a fatal immune response.

To prevent this, the patient has to take immunosuppressant drugs (which do not come cheap) with religious fervor and all seriousness if the procedure is to work. In addition, considering the fact that the organ is still trying to ‘acclimatize’ to the new environment, it is important that the patient keeps off harmful practices such as smoking, alcohol consumption and vigorous physical exercise whicn can weigh down the organ. This is even doubly important if the transplanted organ is a kidney or liver.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Organ Transplant Tagged With: Organ, Organ transplantation, Transplant rejection

Organ Transplant: What it Takes

It is no longer news that a sizable percentage of those living in the planet today are plagued with one debilitating disease or the other. In some unfortunate cases, these conditions may render the organs useless by destroying them. This is what occurs in a case of end-stage renal disease in which the kidneys are destroyed and hepatitis in which the liver can be destroyed. However, the good news is that even in cases where these organs have been damaged by various diseases or toxins, there are steps that can be taken to prolong the patient’s life and give a higher quality of life.

One of such steps or measures is to take a transplant. However, it is important to know that it is not as simple as that. The process is more complex than simply removing an organ from one body and transplanting them into another, it takes more than that. One thing is that once your doctors have recommended organ transplant as a last resort, the race has started.

One of the first steps that have to be taken is to find a suitable donor. For many patients, this stage is sometimes more stressful and difficult than the disease itself. However, if you have an identical twin that is in good shape and is willing to go under the knife for you, then half of the problem is solved. If you are not that fortunate, you will have to look for a donor or kind-hearted volunteers, and seeing one is very rare, but not impossible. If you are in a country where this is regulated, you may just have to wait on the list and hope for the best.

Once you are clear with getting a donor and the operation is smooth, you have a new obstacle to face and that is organ rejection. To prevent this, you will have to rely on immunosuppresants.

Filed Under: Heart & Kidney Transplant, Organ Transplant Tagged With: Organ transplantation, Patient, Transplant rejection