The Pros And Cons Of Liver Transplants

In today’s world of medicine and technological advancements we have been tremendously blessed with the opportunity to extend the lives of many who would not have even had this possibility 60 years ago. In 1963 the first human liver transplant was performed by Thomas Starzi but was unsuccessful and not successfully completed until 1967. According to Cosme Manzarbeltia in his article “Liver Transplantation”, during the year of 1970 a study was done that showed despite an immunosuppressive regimen made up solely of steroids and azathioprine, survival rates were at a sadly low rate of only 15% at one year follow up appointments. Transplant doctors noticed this was becoming a waste of time and resources because no one was surviving the surgery any longer then they would have without the procedure and it was not until the 1980’s that an immunosuppressant called cyclosporine was founded greatly raising survival

All of this said to be shown just how medical advancements are being made daily leading to such a drastic improvement in success rates of liver transplantation. (Manzarbeltia, 2015) Before this time, if you happen to get end stage liver disease (ESLD), this was fatal and there were no definitive treatments at all. Although we now have the chance to give certain organs to patients who are awaiting a life-saving transplant, we face an ethical dilemma in the medical world of medicine as to who exactly should get the organ between to individuals if only one organ is available? In the case study found in the textbook we are faced between the extremely tough decision of who should get the one liver available for transplant, Mr. Mann who has liver cirrhosis from his lifelong alcohol addiction or Mrs. Bay who has Hepatitis C for an unknown