Posted on 11/13/2007 4:24:55 PM PST by leadpencil1
Amid a severe kidney-donor shortage, an idea long considered anathema in the medical community is gaining new currency: payments for people willing to give up a kidney.
One of the most outspoken voices on the topic isn't a free-market libertarian, but a prominent transplant surgeon named Arthur Matas.
Dr. Matas, 59 years old, is a Canadian-born physician best known for his research at the University of Minnesota. Lately, he's been traveling the country trying to make the case that barring kidney sales is tantamount to sentencing some patients to death.
"There's one clear argument for sales," Dr. Matas told a gathering of surgeons earlier this year. The practice, currently illegal in the U.S., "would increase the supply of kidneys, save lives and improve the quality of life for those with end-stage renal disease."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
They can have my right one. 4 kidney stones so far, and symptoms of a fifth once in awhile.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
It's that fifth every once in a while that'll do it.
A real progressive view.
“fifth every once in a while”
That’s how I keep the left one cleaned out!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
In China it isn’t the poor person who sells. It is the imprisoned person who is forced to give up an organ for the State.
OK, I'll see your "first powered flight" and raise you a Hammond B3 with Leslie tone cabinet ........
Good one! LOL
I just don’t want trade for the organs of dead people. That will lead to doctors not doing everything they can to save lives in order to make money on their organs.
It seems to me that in the organ donation process, including blood, everybody dips their beak except for the donor. That’s wrong.
I understand the counter argument though. It creates an incentive for people do do things that may not be good for them for short term financial benefits.
“They can have my right one. 4 kidney stones so far, and symptoms of a fifth once in awhile.”
It is likely not your right kidney’s fault.
An organ recital is what old people give when you ask them how they are. They recite the condition of their organs.
Somehow calcium is not processed right. I looked at one of the buggers under a microscope at work. Ugly looking little stone.
People think kidney transplant is soooo easy...well, it
ain’t always. The complications include, poor match rejection,
even good match rejection,, acute rejection,
short term rejection, long term rejection, high cholesterol
(side effect of some antirejection drugs)...acquisition of
CMV virus(from donor), steroid toxicity(though seen much less
as nonsteroid antirejection drugs used less)....development
of long term cancer and severe bacterial and viral
infections in immunosuppressed patients...
plus factor in forced organ removal for poor or psychotic,
imprisoned, or financially desparate(they think)
“donors”,..
Although one can live a
“normal”life with one kidney, at present, as one ages, kidney
function will decline, and if the one remaining kidney function
declines too much, you get a situation with chronic
kidney impairment which affects health, the metabolism
of toxins, metabolism of drugs, and normally secreted
biological products...So keep your kidney unless you
are willing to make a sacrifice for someone elses life.
The money ain’t worth it...
Don’t forget, kidney transplant surgeons, nurses, organ
acquisition docs’, nurses, drug companies, make money
as more transplants are done. So they tend to accentuate
the positive effects on transplant(i.e. less complications
from dialysis) than the negative affects. Some patients
do get tired of going to hemodialysis as much as 3 times
a week. Also, I’m not sure of the main motivation of
the aforementioned persons is only money, but it does
give one pause.
Hopefully, one day, they will be able to clone kidneys
from the affected patients cells, and reinstall the kidney
in the patient. The patient can get dialyzed in the
meantime. There will probably be no rejection.
Now that will be something!
Already they are growing livers, but they are not close
enough for re-installation yet....
What-the-hell - I'll do it for $50 million, especially if they'll give me Demerol first.
I got a whole list of organs I don't need as long as they give me Demerol.
I like Demerol ............................. FRegards
IOW it is just a question of price...
seriously, we can clone a human ear why not develope cloning individual parts?
I thought the rule is that kidney donors give up about five years of life because of the donation.
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
“Somehow calcium is not processed right.”
I would agree. Calcium causes problems because of a magnesium deficiency. Many of us are deficient in magnesium - osteoporosis is a the result of a magnesium deficiency, not a calcium deficiency. Very few Medical Doctors understand this. The same biological mechanisms can cause kidney stones. FReep mail me if you are interested in further discussion.
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