Bioethics on Performing Organ Donation Procedure on Alive Patients
Bioethics on Performing Organ Donation Procedure on Alive Patients
According to the U.S. Organ and Tissue Transplantation Association, organ donation is defined as tissue or organ removal from a deceased or living donor, for transplantation purposes and typically, organ donors give their vital organs to others after they die (Lee). In US there is substantial need for tissue and organ donors. However, more than 106,000 women, men and children are still in need of donated organ, tissue and corneal transplants (Lee) and this has forced Dr. Morrisey to propose a new protocol to harvest kidney from an alive patient and in my point of view this is not feasible.
Under the current protocol, when a decision is made to remove life support and allow organ donation, the patient is moved to a surgical suite. There is a medical team–which is kept strictly separate from the organ retrieval team, and which is not supposed to make patient care decisions based on organ donation–attends to the patient awaiting cardiac arrest after removal of life support. If the patient breathes on their own and is still alive, the life support is restored and the patient is returned to the ward for further treatment and is not consider to be eligible for donor (Smith).
But because of severe shortage of viable organs for transplantation in the U.S, Dr. Morrissey has proposed a new protocol to harvest kidneys from people who are not dead yet (Carollo). Dr. Morrissey said that about one-third of potential donors are not able to donate their organs and he argues in favor of procuring kidneys from patients with severe irreversible brain injury whose families consent to kidney removal before their cardiac and respiratory systems stop functioning (Carollo).
Many people has commented on this new protocol and among them George Annas, a William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor and a professor at the Schools of Medicine, Law, and Public Health, says that this new proposed protocol by Dr.
According to the U.S. Organ and Tissue Transplantation Association, organ donation is defined as tissue or organ removal from a deceased or living donor, for transplantation purposes and typically, organ donors give their vital organs to others after they die (Lee). In US there is substantial need for tissue and organ donors. However, more than 106,000 women, men and children are still in need of donated organ, tissue and corneal transplants (Lee) and this has forced Dr. Morrisey to propose a new protocol to harvest kidney from an alive patient and in my point of view this is not feasible.
Under the current protocol, when a decision is made to remove life support and allow organ donation, the patient is moved to a surgical suite. There is a medical team–which is kept strictly separate from the organ retrieval team, and which is not supposed to make patient care decisions based on organ donation–attends to the patient awaiting cardiac arrest after removal of life support. If the patient breathes on their own and is still alive, the life support is restored and the patient is returned to the ward for further treatment and is not consider to be eligible for donor (Smith).
But because of severe shortage of viable organs for transplantation in the U.S, Dr. Morrissey has proposed a new protocol to harvest kidneys from people who are not dead yet (Carollo). Dr. Morrissey said that about one-third of potential donors are not able to donate their organs and he argues in favor of procuring kidneys from patients with severe irreversible brain injury whose families consent to kidney removal before their cardiac and respiratory systems stop functioning (Carollo).
Many people has commented on this new protocol and among them George Annas, a William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor and a professor at the Schools of Medicine, Law, and Public Health, says that this new proposed protocol by Dr.
Cited: CAROLLO, KIM. "Surgeon: Remove Kidneys for Transplant Before Donor 's Death." ABC News. ABC News Network, 06 June 2012. Web. 05 July 2012. . Smith, Wesley J. "LifeNews.com." "Bioethics" Journal Pushes Organ Donations on Living Patients. LifeNews, 3 June 2012. Web. 05 July 2012. . Lee, Francis. "Benefits of Organ Donation." LIVESTRONG.COM. Livestrong, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 05 July 2012. . Seligson, Susan. "SPH Ethicist: Organ Donor Proposal “Bizarre”." BU Today. BU Today, 19 June 2012. Web. 11 July 2012. .