3 ms·
I just want to point our that the title, "Italian doctors transplant kidney for spleen," remains misleading, to my eyes. This isn't as interesting as it sounds.
by carbocation 10y ago
I just want to point our that the title, "Italian doctors transplant kidney for spleen," remains misleading, to my eyes. This isn't as interesting as it sounds.
The patient had renal failure and needed a transplant. Due to vascular anatomy, it sounds like the lower abdomen was not an appropriate place for a new transplanted kidney.
The innovative technique was to sacrifice the spleen to create a space for the kidney, then to use the intact splenic vasculature to hook up to the transplanted kidney.
The spleen is a lymphoid organ that people can live without. Many people with sickle cell disease are "functionally" asplenic. It can be removed after injury. Etc. It's a highly vascular organ and has a robust supply via the splenic artery.
In no way does the kidney perform the function of the spleen.
- sctb 10y agoThanks, we've updated the title again to help clarify.
- matco11 10y agoThe current title is still misleading as it overcorrected in the other direction: now it sounds like the doctors made a mistake. If the word "innovative" sounds like inappropriate - which I am not sure why that would be the case, given this was a "first-ever" technique, at least "successfully" should be added in the title to avoid it sounding like there was a mishap.
- sctb 10y agoYes, thank you. We've added "successfully".
- niels_olson 10y agoI would change it to "Italian doctors graft kidney to splenic vasculature, sacrificing immune function for intra-abdominal real estate".
- niels_olson 10y agoThe title should be "Italian doctors graft kidney to splenic vasculature, sacrificing immune function for intra-abdominal real estate".
- tsumnia 10y agoDarn. I had my spleen removed years ago and was really hopeful to not worrying about sick people every year. Maybe someday...