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The Future of Organ Transplantations
May 12, 1999 - Boca Raton, FL - Forty years ago, organ transplants were virtually unheard of. The first heart transplants in the early sixties made medical history, and the surgeons became international celebrities.
Today, organ transplantation is a fairly common procedure. Patients are living much longer, and the quality of their lives is much better. This success is largely because of advances in anti-rejection drugs, but is also due to less invasive transplant procedures, healthier donors, and more living donors when possible (for example, with kidney transplants.)
But there are still not enough donors for all the patients that need them, and organ rejection remains a challenge. For solutions, researchers are exploring new and different ways to grow organs, make animal organs more compatible with human tissue, and offer more people the opportunity to become donors.
The Cutting Edge Medical Report: The Gift of Life, a 30-minute TV documentary on the future of organ transplants, is co-hosted by Thomas E. Starzle, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh.
This special is produced by the award-winning Information Television Network in association with the American Society of Transplant Physicians, and is made possible by an educational grant from Hoffmann-La Roche.
The Cutting Edge Medical Report: The Gift of Life is scheduled to air on Monday, May 17, at 9:00 AM Eastern and Pacific, and 8:00 AM Central and Mountain time on PaxTV. For additional information, please call 1-888-380-6500.
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