“Two lungs are better than one – when it comes to lung transplantations,” thanks to a new study that looked at the long-term survival rates of patients who had lung transplants.
Lung transplantation may be an option for people with cystic fibrosis , emphysema, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis , or sarcoidosis , although there may be other illnesses in the group as well.
The study, done by researchers from Johns Hopkins, found that having both lung replaced by healthy lungs because if one lung is left behind, there may be some residual (left over) parts of the disease, which could end up causing …read more

It’s not an unusual theme: a young person enters medical school determined to help save the world – or at least his or her small part of it. As doctors, men and women hold so much potential in their hands and while some go on to practice in the more traditional fields, others move on to more developing areas of medicine, like transplantation. While every doctor does affect lives, what transplantation surgeons and researchers do is, quite literally, give life back to someone who had no chance of survival before.
Jeffery Steers, MD, is one such transplant surgeon. After graduating from …read more

Since such a large number of people don’t sign organ donation cards or place themselves on a registry, healthcare personnel find themselves in the position of having to ask shocked and grieving families about their wishes.
This is a difficult task for people who aren’t trained or well-prepared for the role.
According to a press release issued by the BMJ ,
A recent audit of 341 deaths in intensive care units in the UK revealed that 41% of relatives of potential donors denied consent. In an interview study a third of relatives who had refused donation said that they would not refuse …read more

Millions of people around the world belong to and hold true to religion and beliefs of a higher power, be it more mainstream like Catholocism or lesser known, like Morovian. Living by the rules of your Church and your beliefs may help make it easier to make decisions about how you live your life and manage your death. Unfortunately though, many people don’t have a full understanding of their own religion and what their stands are on various issues.
A good example is that of the Jehovah Witnesses. We know and understand that Jehovah Witnesses are forbidden to take blood transfusions …read more

If you’ve ever had a question on organ donation or transplantation, chances are you may find it here in these 10 FAQs on donations and transplantations.
1- When was the first successful organ transplant done?
On December 23, 1954, Dr. Joseph E. Murray performed the first successful solid organ transplant at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, MA. The kidney was given by Ronald Herrick and transplanted into his identical twin, Richard Herrick.
2- When was the first successful heart transplant?
In 1967, Dr. Christiaan Barnard, in South Africa, …read more

When I decided to write a series on organ donation and organ transplants, I put out a call for people to contact me. I was overwhelmed by the number of responses I received and the stories that many of the people had to tell.
One woman, Susan May, wrote and offered to share her story about her son Nick, and the heart transplant he received when he was a baby.
Here is her story:
Nick was born with a three chambered heart. He had his first surgery at five days old, another at three and a half months, another at one year old …read more

Reporting on and reading about/listening to/watching human tragedy unfold is as old as the hills. We like to think that it’s in the interest of being informed, of being educated, of seeking ways to improve life. But is it? Or is it more sinister? Is it more a way of seeing how we feel about how others are doing things, of feeling superior, of thinking we would never have to make decisions or live through what others are?
I’m taking you back to the sad story of Kaylee Wallace and Lillian O’Connor once again (A transplant planned, a transplant not done …read more

It all started in 2005 when Isabelle Dinoire, of France, received the world’s first face transplant. There was much controversy over the whole procedure ranging from how she became injured to the ethics of such a transplant.
Whether you agreed with her transplant , there’s no denying that the idea of face transplants are nothing short of miraculous for people who have becomes so severely disfigured that they end up more or less hiding from society.
We *should* be big enough and we *should* be strong enough to believe in ourselves, despite what our face looks like – but reality and society …read more

What do organ donation and You Tube have in common? You Tube is a wonderful way to help spread the word and to share stories. Why not check out what Donate Life Illinois has done with their “I Heart” campaign, and videos made in response. Just click on the TV screen below to watch:

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Image: iStock

Here is yet another example of we can’t tell what really goes on behind closed doors. I often believe the saying that there’s three sides to every story: Your side, my side, and the truth.
Rather than going through the whole issue again  (A transplant planned, a transplant not done and Judge not…lest you have to decide one day ), if you want to read the latest updates on the politics behind Kaylee and Lillian’s saga of the heart transplant in Ontario, Canada, go to the Globe and Mail article, Doctors break silence on Kaylee’s dilemma . There’s a lot …read more