Almost correct !Originally Posted by Tawi2
Here's what I said a couple of months ago ( in response to the thread about a Chinese boy selling his kidney to buy an iPad ):-
There is a worldwide shortage of organs such as kidneys for donation. Up to 10% of kidney transplants round the world are the result of trafficking. It's big business.
In the UK there is strict legislation governing removal / retention and use of human tissues. Donors must be healthy, over 18, and blood group compatible with the recipient. Despite donor cards there are not enough donors. Most are deceased ( from road traffic accidents, or patients with brain haemorrhage) . There are better results from living donors. It's possible to live a normal life after such donation ( some people are born without a kidney). However the operation must be performed in specialised units, after rigorous health checks on the donor.
The Philippines Government has recently banned foreigners paying for organs from filipino donors ( or even filipinos from non-related donors ), but it seems the law is not always enforced. The number of recorded kidney transplants halved after this legislation ( to little over 500 / year ). This is far fewer than needed. Transplantation for kidney disease has so many advantages over dialysis in terms of quality of life for the patient.
I mentioned blood groups as being important in transplantation, because if they are compatible, even genetically unrelated and otherwise not "perfectly matched" donors ( such as spouses ) are likely to result in a successful transplant.
