A transplant is a surgical procedure in which an organ or tissue is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient. The word transplant comes from the Latin words trans, meaning “across”, and plantare, meaning “to place”.
The first successful organ transplant was performed in 1954 by Dr. Joseph E. Murray, who transplanted a kidney from one twin to another. Since then, transplants have been performed on every continent except Antarctica. Over 28,000 kidney transplants are performed each year worldwide.
Organ transplantation is often the only treatment option for people with certain types of end-stage organ failure. Kidney failure, for example, can lead to death within weeks or months without a transplant. Transplants are also used to treat other conditions such as heart failure, liver failure, and lung failure.
In most cases, organs are transplanted from deceased donors who have signed up to be organ donors. However, living donor transplants are also possible in some cases. Living donor transplants usually involve a close relative or friend of the recipient who donates an organ such as a kidney or part of their liver.
Transplant surgery is complex and requires a team of surgeons, nurses, and other medical professionals working together. The surgery itself usually takes several hours to complete and may be done using traditional open surgery or laparoscopic surgery (also called minimally invasive surgery). Recovery times vary depending on the type of transplant but can take several weeks or even months in some cases.
Aftercare following a transplant is also very important and typically involves lifelong immunosuppressive drug therapy to help prevent rejection of the transplanted organ(s). Patients will also need regular follow-up appointments with their transplant team to monitor their progress and look for any signs of complications such as infection or rejection.