About Transplants
Introduction
Since 1965, more than 30,000 Australians have received life-saving or life-preserving transplants of organs (heart, heart/lung, liver, kidney, pancreas) and tissue (eye, heart, bone, skin). Australia has one of the highest transplant success rates in the world.
Transplantation has dramatically improved the lives of recipients and has enabled them to have families, contribute to the community and publicly support the value of donation.
Patients awaiting organ transplants are seriously ill and on average, more than one person will die every week awaiting a transplant. Waiting times are completely dependent on the availability of suitable donated organs and tissue. Waiting times for organ and tissue transplants are between six months to three years.
Who Needs Transplants?
People in endstage organ failure require transplantation to survive. The majority of potential recipients do not have lifestyle related illnesses, for example, the most common need for a heart transplant is related to dilated cardiomyopathy, which is an inherited genetic condition. Young people with cystic fibrosis require lung transplants. Liver failure is often due to disease such as haemacromotosis, sclerosing cholangitis, autoimmune disease and hepatitis C. The majority of children who require liver transplants have a congenital disease known as biliary atresia.
People with kidney failure can be treated with dialysis until a kidney becomes available. People in endstage liver, heart or lung failure do not have a form of treatment to tide them over until they receive a transplant.
People who have suffered diseases or damage to their eyes, resulting in blindness, can have sight-restoring corneal transplants. Similarly, someone who has had severe injury or cancer in a limb can receive a bone transplant. Heart valve transplants benefit those who suffer from disease such as rheumatic fever, abnormal valves or degeneration.
What Types Of Transplants Are There?
There are two types of transplants, Organ Transplants and Tissue Transplants.
-
Organs currently transplanted include heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreas.
-
Tissue transplants include eye tissue, heart valves and bone tissue.
Click here for information on how you can register to be an organ and tissue donor and don't forget to tell your family, partner and friends.
Milestones In The World History Of Transplantation
|
Year |
Milestone | Location |
|
1905 |
Cornea (eye tissue) | New York USA |
|
1954 |
Living related kidney (identical twins) | Brigham Hospital, USA |
|
1962 |
First kidney transplant | University of Colorado, USA |
|
1963 |
First liver transplant | University of Colorado, USA |
|
1966 |
First pancreas transplant | University of Minnesota, USA |
|
1967 |
First heart transplant | Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA |
|
1978 |
Living related pancreas (mother to child) | University of Minnesota, USA |
|
1980 |
Sandoz Pharmaceuticals developed Cycolsporin | Anti-rejection medication - pushed success rate from 50% to over 90% |
|
1981 |
First heart/lung transplant | Stanford University, USA |
|
1987 |
First segmental liver transplant (for children) | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA |
|
1989 |
First successful living-related liver transplant (mother to child) | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA |
|
1992 |
First mono-segmental liver transplant (for babies) | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA |
|
1992 |
Xenotransplant (Baboon's liver to human) | Pittsburg, USA |
|
2002 |
Liver transplant for youngest child in Australia (24 days) | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA |
|
2003 |
Australian first triple transplant (heart, lung, liver) | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA |
Other languages