About Transplant

 

I am an organ transplant advisor, Nagase of Japan Anbis International Co., Ltd.

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I would like to explain the status of organ transplants in the world as of May 2015.

Before doing that, I would like to first come right to the point about what all of the patients want to know most is about which is if an overseas transplant operation is possible.

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Yes, an operation overseas for an organ transplant is possible. There still exist many countries that accept foreign patients worldwide. Please rest assured about it! No matter how rapidly the number of patients is increasing, however, the situation is getting tough.

 

How about the laws in each country?

Many countries have regulations about organ donation and transplants.

Brain death is legally defined as death in some countries while others don't have such a legally defined regulation but death is determined by a medical society or convention. The priority in organ donation is, as a matter of course, whether or not the person pledged his/her organs to donate; however, when the person's will is not clear the family members can usually give consent in donating. (America, Canada or Australia, etc.)

 

Also in some European countries, the donation is allowed, long as the person has not expressed that he/she refused the organs to be donated. (called Presumed in Spain, Belgium, Austria, etc.) Moreover, according to the Guideline for Organ Transplantation of WHO (May 1991), it is promoted that the person's will is the priority but the family members can decide if the person's will is not clear. 

 

Furthermore, the guidelines mention that the doctors who operate to transplant organs should not interfere in determining the death of the donors and prohibiting selling/buying of organs and fairness/openness in deciding a recipient, as the international consensus guidelines on organ transplantation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, some countries allow not only directly biologically related parents (the first degree of consanguinity), brothers and sisters (the second degree of consanguinity), but also extended families such as grandparents (the second degree of consanguinity), aunts and uncles (the third degree of consanguinity), cousins or completely biologically unrelated husband/wife, in-laws, and distant relatives (relatives within the third/sixth degree of consanguinity) and even completely biologically or socially unrelated third parties to donate their organs in transplantations other than kidneys. The lack of donors is becoming a serious issue worldwide. 

 

Istanbul Declaration 2008

 

The Istanbul Declaration of WHO in 2008 announced the guidelines, saying, Your donors should be supplied within your country.

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For example, from 2003 until 2007 overseas transplant patients came to be positively received in China.

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In 2007 the Philippines were elevated as I quote " transplant tourism country that attracted patients from overseas, but pressure from WHO resulted in a sudden suspension by President Arroyo in April 2008."

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Currently, in both China and the Philippines, there is still talk of transplants, but, unfortunately, these talks are not about legal routes for it. It's important to keep in mind and consider the clear prohibition in-laws and executive orders of accepting overseas patients.

(In the Philippines at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute there is a cap at 10% for overseas patients.) It's 5% for America but heading toward discontinuation.

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Are organ transplants illegal? It's certainly not that it is illegal. However, some trends have been going on for a long time. On the internet people calling themselves NPO organizations invest a lot of money to sponsor advertisements as enthusiastic support for organ donation. A normal NPO is a non-profit organization that does not invest in such advertisements.

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All the patients need to think a little more about such an issue.

How can we travel for transplantation safely then?

 

Firstly, we need to know about donors.

Donor systems vary depending upon countries.

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Most countries only allow organ donation from a family or a near relative but some counties allow a third party organ donation in good faith. ( Mexico, Jordan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, etc.) We should request an authorized way of donation in these countries.

 

Cost for Transplant

 

Next, the expenses most patients are concerned about, in these countries you are expected like the following, depending on the level of hospitals: 200,000USD for a kidney transplant, 250,000USD to 350,000USD for liver or lung transplant.

 

Sanitary services and amenities are provided at the best hospitals in that country. Also, you don't need to worry about the local languages and any supports over there for 24 hours.

I cannot answer all questions more than the above, but please feel free to visit our website and let me explain more for you. 

 

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