Man donated kidney to his wife, now he wants it back!

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I personally feel that harvesting organs from normal, healthy people is unethical.

Do you mind if I ask why?

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Do you mind if I ask why?

No...I don't mind. I think that taking an organ from a normal person causes them an injury. It is a fairly dangerous procedure that has actually resulted in death for some living donors. It also brings up a lot of issues regarding whether or not someone can truly give consent freely. Many people, I'm sure, feel pressured to give up their kidneys and don't feel they can say no. Living related donors are NOT the last option as 33girl suggested. Many transplant surgeons prefer to have people get a living related donor, if possible, because those kidneys last longer than cadaveric organs. (I did rotations on transplant surgery as a surgery intern and have participated in transplants and organ harvests.)
Take my example...my husband really is mad that I won't give him a kidney! He feels like I have to let him have one since we're married, and I'm O neg so we'll probably match. I have enough knowledge and convictions to stand up to him about it, but the average person has no idea what they are giving up and that they have a right to say no.
Some people have even gone as far as having the doctor tell their family member that they were not a match because they couldn't say no to them! That is a problem!
Don't even get me started on how frequently people reject their kidneys because they don't want to take their medicine correctly. Let them get a kidney from someone who doesn't need one anymore...otherwise, they can stay on dialysis!

Essentially, I don't think your family should be an organ bank for you! Trust me, I won't be asking for any organs from my family.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

No...I don't mind. I think that taking an organ from a normal person causes them an injury. It is a fairly dangerous procedure that has actually resulted in death for some living donors. It also brings up a lot of issues regarding whether or not someone can truly give consent freely. Many people, I'm sure, feel pressured to give up their kidneys and don't feel they can say no. . . . .

Thanks for your response. I see where you're coming from.

Can I ask you one more question? If the donor does not feel any pressure at all and fully understands the risks involved, and still makes the free choice to donate his or her kidney, would you still consider the decision to donate the kidney unethical? (Perhaps a related question is this: Is it the use of a living donor's organs that you consider unethical, the decision of a living donor to donate an organ unethical, or both?)

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

No...I don't mind. I think that taking an organ from a normal person causes them an injury. It is a fairly dangerous procedure that has actually resulted in death for some living donors. It also brings up a lot of issues regarding whether or not someone can truly give consent freely. Many people, I'm sure, feel pressured to give up their kidneys and don't feel they can say no. Living related donors are NOT the last option as 33girl suggested. Many transplant surgeons prefer to have people get a living related donor, if possible, because those kidneys last longer than cadaveric organs. (I did rotations on transplant surgery as a surgery intern and have participated in transplants and organ harvests.)
Take my example...my husband really is mad that I won't give him a kidney! He feels like I have to let him have one since we're married, and I'm O neg so we'll probably match. I have enough knowledge and convictions to stand up to him about it, but the average person has no idea what they are giving up and that they have a right to say no.
Some people have even gone as far as having the doctor tell their family member that they were not a match because they couldn't say no to them! That is a problem!
Don't even get me started on how frequently people reject their kidneys because they don't want to take their medicine correctly. Let them get a kidney from someone who doesn't need one anymore...otherwise, they can stay on dialysis!

Essentially, I don't think your family should be an organ bank for you! Trust me, I won't be asking for any organs from my family.

Very very valid points as I also did screenings and evaluations for donors at Univ of MD.

Many living donors that come are made to go thru extensive physical and mental evals before they can even be considered a good match for the recipient. Some of you would be surprised how many people who want to donate wind up being found with long term problems themselves and in a few cases that I saw, some donors wound up needing a donation themselves!

Believe when it's said that donating an organ is not a simple process once the decision is made that someone wants to do so!

And not only is non compliancy with meds an issue but non compliancy with lifestyle changes are an issue.

Smoking cessation
Changes in diet and so forth.

[AKA_Monet]

I think the guy is lame to want it back. There is not much he's going to get back unless he wants to do the "Bodies Exhibit" and treat the organ to hardened it.

What we are talking about is "transplant health policy"--what is it? Health wise, molecular wise, legally, mentally, etc. While kidney transplants are "relatively routine" today, the fact is we really do not understand ALL the aspects why this surgery really works. Re-routing and splicing renal artery and veins does not mean as research scientists we understand why the transplanted nephrons and glomeruli work? And do we care? Yes, because created better drugs to not have GVHD, or avoiding the need would health the sufferer better.

Maybe with stem cells? IDK?