Currently there are more than 84,000 men, women and children waiting on the organ donor transplant list. Their chances of survival are contingent upon an intricate and methodical system which forms a match between its patients on that list and donors. This system is based completely on trust and a selfless regard or concern for the well being of others. An organ transplant involves the surgical procedure in which ones damaged organ is removed and replaced with one more suitable one. The first successful organ transplant was conducted in 1954.
One ethical issue we face is the shortage of organs available. We have far more people on the organ transplant list than we have organs available. The database responsible for keeping track of this data is maintained by the United Network of Organ Sharing and according to its recent poll, there are currently over 83,000 people on the waiting list in the United States alone. The data also shows that for every 14 minutes, someone is added to the organ donor list. Even more drastic is that 17 lives are loss each day while waiting for an organ.
As previously stated ones beliefs vary as it relates to organ donors and not everyone believes that organ transplant are not necessary and have clearly become a means for those performing the procedures to prolong death. Questions that have arisen regarding the organ transplant shortage are: should those that practice certain lifestyles such as drugs, alcohol and obesity receive a transplant or should those unable to afford the drugs necessary to sustain them after the transplant receive t