Kidney Shortage Inspires A Radical Idea: Organ Sales

Wall Street Hournal ^ | November 13, 2007 | LAURA MECKLER

[Getready]

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....

[gonzo]

"...I will donate my kidney for $100 million dollars..."

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

[leadpencil1]

Those are all valid points you make. The flip side is true as well. TX takes place and both donor and recipient lead normal and productive lives for years. Working, paying taxes, sending their kids to college, contributing to society.

[longtermmemmory]

IOW it is just a question of price...

seriously, we can clone a human ear why not develope cloning individual parts?

[longtermmemmory]

I thought the rule is that kidney donors give up about five years of life because of the donation.

[traviskicks]

Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“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.