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Off-topic TalkWhere overpaid, underworked S2000 owners waste the worst part of their days before the drive home. This forum is for general chit chat and discussions not covered by the other off-topic forums.
If I could buy my mom a kidney for everything I'm worth, and everything I ever will be, I would do it. It doesn't work that way, and when I think about it, I'm willing to bet that it still wouldn't be enough, and rich people would be saved, and my mom would probably die.
However, the list is utter bullshit, she has been on it for 8 years and is still waiting, growing weaker by the month, the fact that she's lived long enough to see her grandkids is probably the only thing that keeps her going.
The system sucks, and if money would fix it, I'd have to rob a bank to make it happen.
Originally Posted by JerseyGirl,Oct 6 2005, 10:15 PM
What if a new network was set up where people who were willing to "sell" their organ (or part of an organ) could sign up? It wouldn't be a bidding contest. Amounts would be set and you were ok with that, you could participate (if deemed healthy enough by a doctor). Other than being able to get off of the other transplant list sooner, what negative effects would that have? (Obviously, it should be set up so that should you choose to participate as a live organ donor, you agree to not hold anyone liable should something go wrong (ie: infection, etc.)).
Comments?
This makes sense to me. While rich people would take the live donor organs, instead of taking donated organs which would make more available, poor people would still wait for organ donors to die. End story more organs available. Don't allow the bidding process just set the price for organs.
Originally Posted by Mindcore,Oct 6 2005, 10:41 PM
and rich people would be saved
But if it was set up in a way that was not Ebay (ie: no bidding), I would imagine that it would give more people access or organs in a timely manner. I don't see any purpose in setting it up so only the ultra rich could benefit from this....
If you can buy it, it will become the market of the rich. "Oh, I'm not paying anymore for the organ....I just donated enough money for ........whatever the hospital wanted."
The success rates are higher...plain and simple. When you get a fresh kidney, even unmatched, the chances of it surviving 5yrs is the same as a perfect match cadaver kidney...pretty impressive. It has to do with less ischemic time.
the 1 year survival rate (for the organ, not the patient) is something like 95% vs 85% for a cadaveric kidney. Also, for a live donor, donating a kidney is a pretty easy process. The incision is VERY SMALL, and the donor is usually fully recovered within a week or so.
The incision when I got my (failed) transplant was almost the size of OLDMAN's, just a little lower. It was 11". They did the operation twice, once for insertion, once for removal the next day. When I go for my next one, they will do it on the other side. eh, at least I'll have my symmetry back.
I am mixed on the whole selling of organs thing. The Libertarian in me says let it run its course. And, no, prices will not be set...the rich will always be able to pay more than the middle class and get the organ first. If you don't think there will be bidding, think again. Even if the system were run by an intermediary, corruption would be rampant. I think you will also see unhealthy people selling just for the money, too. The whole thing just lets the rich get organs fast. While the poor may wait a shorter time or the same, who really knows? The UNOS system in place now is designed for maximum fairness and the criteria are examined by committees regularly.
One other reason you see the rich get donors faster is because they have the means to travel, meaning they can register at every transplant center in the country if they wanted to. That ups the chances substantially.
The way it works for kidneys is if a perfect match is on the list anywhere in the US, they get it. Otherwise, the organ goes to the next candidate (that is a match) on the list of the LOCAL transplant center. Now, see the advantage of being listed everywhere?
just stumbled upon this post hope all is going well with you oldman, my wife Michele received 60 percent of her cousins liver 4 years ago tommorow, she is doing well we even have a son 19 months old, he is our second miracle, a friend carried our biological child for us. here are some pics, all is going well.
these first two photos were a couple days before the surgery, my wife was 80lbs and stood 5'9" tall
