The liver is the largest internal organ in our body, weighing about 3 pounds. It is reddish-brown and rubbery to the touch (WebMD, n.d.). Our liver is one of the most important organs in our bodies. It exists to process nutrients from the food we eat, make proteins, make bile and remove toxins.
These processes can get interfered due to liver failure, when the liver is damaged to an extent that it won’t function normally for months or years. The main causes for liver failure include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, long-term alcohol consumption, cirrhosis and malnutrition (WebMD, n.d.).
It is crucial that the affected person applies for a liver transplant. A liver transplant is an operation in which the patient’s damaged liver is replaced with a healthy liver from a donor.¬ There are three main types of liver transplant: orthotopic transplant, the most common type of transplant, where the patient’s liver is replaced by a liver from a deceased donor; living donor transplant, where a living person willingly donates his liver for the patient; and split type of liver transplant: where the liver of a deceased donor is split into the two lobes and given to two recipients, applicable if the patients are an adult and a child (Mandal, n.d.
The United States of America alone performs around 6,000 transplants a year (American Liver Foundation, 2013), and has performed 592,589 to date since 1988, according to OTPN (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network) statistics. Patients have an 86% chance and a 78% chance of living one and three years respectively after a transplant.
However, there are more patients waiting than there are available livers. So there are issues when deciding who would be an appropriate candidate for a transplant.
The timel...
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...on of Reasons For and Against. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 13(2), 181-184. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3006432/#__ffn_sectitle
Walsh, F. (2013, March 15). 'Warmed liver' transplant first. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/health-21788533
WebMD (n.d.). Digestive Disorders Health Center. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-liver
WebMD (n.d.). Liver Failure. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-liver-failure
Zimmerman, M. A., Wachs, M., Bak, T., & Kam, I. (n.d.). The History of Liver Transplantation at the University of Colorado: Early Days to Live Donation. Retrieved from: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/surgery/educati on/GrandRounds/Documents/GRpdfs/2007-2008/4-14-08%20Zimmerman.pdf
Thesis: I will explain the history of organ transplants, starting with ancient ideas before modern science until the 21st century.
Wolfe, R., Merion, R., Roys, E., & Port, F. (2009). Trends in Organ Donation and Transplantation in the United States, 1998-2007. American Journal of Transplantation , 9, 869-878.
The Hepatitis A Virus affects many different systems within the body. The first being the digestive system and the gastrointestinal system because Hepatitis A causes an acute liver infection. The liver’s job is to process nutrients, filter the blood and toxin from your body, and fight infections. It produces important blood components, proteins, and bile which helps you digest food. The liver also stores glucose and vitamins. The Hepatitis A Virus causes inflammation that interrupts the liver’s ability to perform these vital functions. Having a healthy liver is crucial to your health because it supports many other body systems. For example, one function of the liver is to produce bile which is needed to break down fats. The body stores bile in the gallbladder and then sends it to the beginning section of the small intestine. Bile is then combined with other digestive
Cirrhosis is a deterioration of the liver resulting from heavy scarring, causing the liver to not be able to function properly. If cirrhosis becomes severe, a liver transplant may be the only solution (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact on Your Health” 14). It is difficult to calculate when a person will develop cirrhosis, because an alcoholic could never develop the disease, but someone who drinks socially could. It is also unknown why cirrhosis is more prevalent in women (Freeman).... ...
Of all of the organs transplanted one of the most demanded is the liver. With an ever growing demand for livers each year there is a great decline in viable donors which in turn leads to longer waiting list and greater risk of malnutrition and/or death in many patients. Their was a study done by the Transplant Outpatient Clinic at the University of Federal de Minas Gerais,Brazil (Ferreira 2).
What is hepatic cirrhosis? According to the medical dictionary hepatic cirrhosis is when scar tissue replaces the liver’s healthy tissue. This disease changes the structure of the liver and blood vessels that nurture it. It reduces the liver’s capability to produce proteins and process hormones, nutrients, medications, and poisons. Cirrhosis is an illness that gets worse over time and possibly can become life threatening. This serious illness is ranked as the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. It is the third most common cause of death for adults between 45 and 65 years of age. It occurs in more than fifty percent of undernourished chronic alcoholics. Unfortunately it kills about 35,000 people per year. In other country’s such as Africa and Asia death from cirrhosis is usually caused by hepatitis B.
With a success rate between 80 and 90 percent organ donation has become a reliable and efficient option for people all over the world (LiveOnNy, 2016).
Each and every day there are as many as 79 people receiving organ donations that will change their life, but on the other hand there are many people who die from failed organs while they are waiting for transplants that never happen for them (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). People find out that one, or even several of their organs are failing and they are put on a list to receive a transplant with no intended time frame or guarantee. Organ transplants are an essential tool when it comes to saving someone’s life from a failing organ; the history of organ transplants, organ donation, and the preceding factors of organ failure all play a very important role in organ transplant in the United States.
Organ transplantation is one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine. But this achievement tragically out of reach for many thousands of people whose lives might be saved. There just are not enough organs for everybody. About 75,000 Americans are on the waiting list for kidney transplants. But in
Liver is a vital organ and performs several roles; produce proteins that help the blood to clot and removing body wastes; regulates the supply of substances such as glucose throughout the body (Potter et al., 2012). To be able to perform these functions the liver cells must function normally. Alcohol abuse is usually connected to alcoholic liver disease that permanently damaged the liver due to excessive drinking and continued excessive drinking can shorten lifespan. If liver cirrhosis has not yet occurred, the liver can heal once the patient stop drinking alcohol (ABS, 2010).
According to a statistic on organdonors.html, tens of thousands of people wait each year for transplants, and between 10-20% of them die for lack of suitable organs.
The up-to-date medical advancement has come a long way, including making it possible for donating one’s major organs, blood, and tissues to desperate individuals needing them to sustain life. Organ donation still has problems even with the modern technology and breakthroughs. The majority of individuals need to comprehend to have a successful organ transplant it is essential to have active individuals that are willing to donate their organs. Typically, most individuals or family that consent to donate their precious organ 's desire life to continue. Their intentions are when one life is gone there is hope for another life to continue. Health care is experiencing a shortage in organ donation and the people that desperately need these organs
Organ donation is the surgical removal of organs or a tissue of one person to be transplanted to another person for the purpose of replacing a failed organ damaged by disease or injury. Organs and tissues that can be transplanted are liver, kidneys, pancreas, heart, lungs, intestines, cornea, middle ear, skin, bone, bone marrow, heart valves, and connective tissues. Everyone regardless of age can consider themselves as potential donors. After one dies, he is evaluated if he is suited for organ donation based on their medical history and their age as determined by the Organ Procurement Agency (Cleveland Clinic).
Page Description: Liver enlargement occurs due to swelling of liver beyond the normal size. It causes extreme pain in the liver and may occur due to fatty liver. Symptoms vary and may be confused with other medical conditions.
Each day, 120 people are added to the ever-growing organ waiting list. An astonishing 41% of these unfortunate people, that's about 50, will die due to the lack of donor organs in ... ... middle of paper ... ... nd of donor organs.