50 Years of Organ Transplants

Iphtashu Fitz writes "On December 23, 1954, Richard Herrick made history by becoming the first successful recipient of a donated organ. His twin brother Ronald sacrificed one of his kidneys, which prolonged Richards life by another 8 years. In the last 12 years alone over 416,000 people have received organ transplants (an average of almost 100 a day), and one man has now lived 42 years with a donated kidney. Since that first historic operation in 1954 surgeons have learned how to transplant virtually every vital organ in the human body, and have even performed two hand transplants. Some doctors have also experimented with transplanting organs from other species into humans. What's next on the path to a full-fledged Frankenstein monster? How about a face transplant? Just last month the Cleveland Clinic was given permission to attempt the procedure and they are now searching for a suitable patient."

The growth of medicine

[dshaw858]

I find it fascinating that 50 years ago, a landmark point of surgury (organ transplant) was first successfully done. It makes me wonder if in another 50 years the organs will be home-grown for the patient, no longer requiring donors. It's amazing how fast medicine is advancing.

- dshaw

Re:The growth of medicine

[Atrax]

It makes me wonder if in another 50 years the organs will be home-grown for the patient, no longer requiring donors.

If we can manage to get past the religious nutters and get some serious stem cell research done, this could be a distinct possibility. As it is, progress is stymied. Which is a real shame.

Good to see California standing up for stem cell research though. And Europe. And the rest of the developed world....