Bioethics and organ transplantation

DE ORTÚZAR ET.AL

Journal of Transplantation Proceedings

Elsevier

Año: 1997 vol. 29 p. 3627 - 3630

The subject of organ transplantation hascertain characteristics that make it different from other medical issues.First, it is not restricted to the physician-patient relationship, as itdepends to be carried out on a third external element: the organ donor.Although transplants are based on a technique which is common noways due toadvanced technological development, they cannot be performed without organdonations. It is important to stress that, in other to have publicunderstanding and acceptance of transplants? activity and of organ donation bythe community, many sociocultural changes are needed which will not be studiedhere. Secondly, when we ask ourselves who should bethe donor and under what circunstances donation should be done, we have toconsider transplants? ethical and legal issues. In this exposition, we willfocus on the latter subject. [1] Resistance against organ donations is rooted in belifs and fears, mostof them unconscious, about death and body mutilation. Their analysis requieresantropological, psychological and sociological studies, a task that exceeds thepresent article.