Organ transplantation is the process of replacing tissues or organs that have been irreversibly damaged or are unable to function properly for various reasons, with a healthy organ taken from a deceased donor or a living donor. It is necessary to be a donor to have an organ transplant. It is especially crucial for patients with chronic organ failure, as their ability to survive and extend their lifespan depends on it.
What is Organ Transplant Center?
Organ Transplant Center is a healthcare unit equipped with advanced technological infrastructure, where the pre-operative preparation, the operation procedure and the recovery process of patients diagnosed with organ failure are managed in a personalized manner. Specialists from different branches such as general surgery, nephrology, gastroenterology, cardiology, anesthesiology and immunology, work at the Organ Transplant Center.
The main objective of the Organ Transplant Center is to conduct ethical and medical evaluations before transplantation, perform tissue typing tests and ensure the necessary follow-up to prevent organ rejection after the operation. The Organ Transplant Center, licensed by the Ministry of Health, operates within a system designed to provide patients with all the necessary support throughout every stage of the transplant process.
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What Are The Types Of Organ Transplantation?
Organ transplantation is classified into different types based on the source of the organ and the method of application. The types of organ transplantation are as follows:
- Organ transplantation from living donor: It is a type of organ transplantation performed using organs (usually a kidney or a part of the liver) taken from the patient’s relatives up to the fourth degree or from individuals approved by an ethics committee.
- Organ transplantation from deceased donor: It is the transplantation of organs taken from individuals who have been declared brain-dead and have donated their organs, to suitable patients on the waiting list.
- Paired organ transplantation: It is a method in which two different patient groups who do not have blood or tissue compatibility with their own donors exchange donors with each other.
- Domino (sequential) organ transplant: It is a rarely performed method based on transplanting an organ removed from one patient into another patient.
- Autograft: It is transplantation of a tissue collected from a part of patient’s own body to another part of patient’s own body.
- Isograft: It is a type of organ transplantation performed only between monozygotic twins. As in autografts, tissue rejection is not expected because the immune system does not recognize the organ as foreign.
- Allograft: It is a type of organ transplantation performed between genetically different people. Most of the transplants performed nowadays (from relative or deceased donor) are in this category.
- Xenograft: It is a type of organ transplantation performed between different species (such as: from animal to human).
How is Organ Transplant Performed?
Organ transplantation should not be considered only a surgical procedure; the pre-transplant preparation and evaluation process is very important. Organ transplantation includes the processes below:
- Preparation and evaluation: A patient awaiting organ transplantation is evaluated physically and psychologically by a council of specialists. Patient’s general health condition, heart and lung capacity, whether the patient has other chronic disorders, are examined.
- Tissue and blood type compatibility: Tissue Typing (HLA) tests and cross-matching tests are performed to determine immunological compatibility between the organ donor and the patient awaiting transplantation. These tests are necessary to determine the risk of body rejecting the new organ.
- Organ procurement: In living-donor transplants, the donor is prepared for surgery; however, in deceased-donor organ transplantation, the rapid and sterile delivery of the organ to the Organ Transplant Center is organized (the cold ischemia time of the organ).
- Surgical intervention: In the organ transplantation performed under general anesthesia, the damaged organ is removed from the body. New organ’s arteries, veins and ducts (like ureter or bile ducts) are connected to patient’s system.
- Reperfusion: After the connections are completed during the surgical procedure, the clamps on the vessels are opened and blood flow to the new organ is allowed to begin. Organ color turning pink and starting to work (for example: kidney producing urine) indicate the success of organ transplantation.
- Intensive care and isolation: The patient is kept under observation in specially sterilized rooms to reduce the risk of infection. At this stage, immunosuppressive (immune-suppressing ) treatment is started immediately to help the body accept the foreign tissue.
Who Can Undergo Organ Transplant?
Organ transplantation is performed in patients with end-stage organ failure who no longer have the chance of recovery through treatments such as medication or dialysis. When deciding on organ transplantation, patient’s general health condition and ability to withstand the operation are taken into consideration. The people listed below can be an organ transplant candidate:
- Patients who undergo dialysis due to end-stage kidney failure
- People with cirrhosis or acute liver failure
- Patients with severe heart failure
- People with lung diseases such as advanced COPD or cystic fibrosis
- Pancreas patients who have severe complications related to type 1 diabetes
- Patients with irreversible organ damage due to trauma
Which Tissue And Organs Can Be Transplanted?
Nowadays, transplantations of some tissues and some organs can be performed. Transplantable tissue and organs are listed below:
- Kidney
- Liver
- Heart
- Lung
- Pancreas
- Small intestine
- Cornea
- Bone and bone marrow
- Cardiac valve
- Skin
What Are The Advantages Of Medipol Health Group Organ Transplant Center?
Medipol Health Group Organ Transplant Center is a healthcare unit that provides services in the field of organ transplantation with internationally standardized equipment and specialist staff. Advantages of Medipol Health Group Organ Transplant Center are as follows:
- It consists of experienced surgeons, coordinators and internal medicine specialists working with a multidisciplinary approach.
- Its advanced technological infrastructure, along with robotic surgery and minimally invasive techniques, provides a more comfortable and faster recovery process.
- It enables tissue compatibility and immunology tests to be performed on-site.
- It has global experience, providing services to patients from all over the world.
- It provides comprehensive support from pre-operative preparation to post-operative patient follow-up.