The History Behind Organ Donation

Organ donation and transplants occur commonly in hospitals today. Doctors investigated the possibility of organ transplantation more than a century ago, but only recent advancements have made this life-saving procedure a reality.

History

• The Vienna Medical School performed the first kidney transplant experiments on animals in 1902, but the first successful human kidney transplant did not occur until 1954, according to Stanford University. Later, discoveries of both immunosuppressant drugs and immune matching between donors and recipients caused transplants to become more successful in the 1960s.

Significance

• When immunosuppressant drugs and type matching became available, doctors attempted many more organ transplants. A heart transplant on December 3, 1967, had temporary success, according to Wired Magazine, but the patient died later due to his weakened immune system. Until the 1980s and the discovery of cyclosporine, a better drug, organ donation still had a relatively low success rate.

Considerations

• According to OrganDonor.gov, many people wait a long time for donor organs, and some die while waiting. Minorities have a particular shortage of organs for transplant. Signing up on the state registry for organ donation will make a person's organs available for those in need if that person dies suddenly in an accident.