How does an organ transplant?

The organ is a common practice now. If more hospitals are being decorated, transplantation is carried out by a specialized team. Eh! yes, surgery remains delicate.
Where does the transplant?

Organ transplantation is performed in an appropriate hospital to perform transplants, a specialized team. Private hospitals are generally not entitled to this kind of activity.

However, tissue grafts can be performed by a qualified hospital, whether private or public.

The authorization of hospitals performing transplants requires a strict procedure and is given by the Ministry of Health.

An organ transplant requires a specialized surgical team and can take several hours, depending on the transplanted organ.

The goal of transplantation is to place the body in the same anatomical and functional requirements that the diseased organ (vascularization, temperature, ...). Thus, an organ transplant is a delicate operation, requiring precise control of the surgical team.

The most famous transplant ...

Kidney transplantation

Kidney transplantation is a common practice in France. It is usually indicated in patients with end stage renal disease, to prevent the patient carrying the frequent kidney dialysis.

The new kidney is often put anastomosis with vessels in the iliac fossa of the recipient. The graft can be immediately functional few hours (or days when living donor) after transplantation.

Keeping a kidney transplant should not exceed 48 hours.

Liver transplantation

Liver transplantation is mainly practiced in the case of end-stage liver failure, liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

When the sample is taken from a living donor, surgery recipient and donor is performed simultaneously in two very close operating theaters. The operation lasts between 5-12 hours. This is also the period of retention of the liver.

The heart transplant

Heart transplantation is indicated in patients with heart failure in which the drug treatments are no longer effective.

Several surgical teams involved from procurement to transplantation. The heart often transplanted from a donor in brain-dead, under 60 years of age. The retention period of the heart prior to transplantation should not exceed 6 hours.

Other indications are cardiac malformations, abnormal heart valves, severe cardiomyopathy.

Lung transplantation

Lung transplantation is very long and lasts 6-8 hours. It can be associated with heart transplantation (when severe pulmonary hypertension). The surgery is often performed with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Transplantation of both lung lobes is more common.

Other indications are cystic fibrosis, pulmonary emphysema.

The pancreas transplant

Pancreas transplantation is more difficult to perform. The graft is usually taken from a living donor. Pancreas transplantation is often performed in conjunction with a kidney transplant.

Pancreatic insufficiency with severe and uncontrolled by medication diabetes mellitus is the main indication.

The bone marrow

The bone marrow is a tissue graft. It consists in replacing the hematopoietic stem cells of the patient. Thus, the removal of the donor concerns mainly red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

The corneal

The corneal transplantation or keratoplasty is the most common fabric. The surgery involves removing the opaque cornea and develop a healthy cornea (often taken from a donor in brain-dead). The graft can be stored for a few days to a week.

The degeneration of the cornea (keratoconus, keratitis) is the main condition that requires a corneal transplant.

Skin grafting

It is most often an autograft. Skin transplantation is usually performed through a wound (severe burns or injury), requiring an extra piece of skin to accelerate the healing process. The graft may concern either a superficial or full thickness of the skin part, this depends on the severity and depth of the damaged skin. The graft used is generally taken from the thigh or buttocks of the receiver itself.

After transplantation, the innervation of the graft is often very slow and takes several months before the sensitivity is present.

Transplantation of blood vessels

Some vascular diseases require blood vessel grafts. Autografts are often performed and provide a higher success rate. The graft is usually taken in the vessels of the leg.

Grafting blood vessels can be performed in the setting of coronary artery bypass surgery.