Handbook of Organ Transplantation

Organ transplantation is a medical procedure performed to replace a missing or damaged organ. Organs and tissues may be transplanted from one healthy donor to a recipient. Organ donors can be dead, brain dead or living. Transplants can be autografts, allografts or xenografts. Organs such as the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, thymus and intestine, and tissues such as bones, cornea, heart valves, skin and veins can be transplanted. Transplantation medicine is a complex and challenging field. The problem of transplant rejection is one of the enduring issues of organ transplantation. The body exhibits an immune response to the transplanted organ, which can lead to transplant failure, and requires the transplanted organ to be removed from the recipient immediately. By using immunosuppressant drugs and using organs with a donor-recipient match, this problem can be solved. This book is a valuable compilation of topics, ranging from the basic to the most complex advancements in the field of organ transplantation. It presents this complex subject in the most comprehensible language. For someone with an interest and eye for detail, this book covers the most significant topics in this field.