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Keep in mind that transplanted organ recipients must take immunosuppresants for life and that transplanted orgrans eventually fail, usually within a decade or s
by cheese_goddess 5y ago
Keep in mind that transplanted organ recipients must take immunosuppresants for life and that transplanted orgrans eventually fail, usually within a decade or so. Being on immunosuppressants means even a common cold can kill you without medical care. This is probably more of a limiting factor for long-term survival by continuous transplants than the availability of donors.
- nradov 5y agoThe next big step in organ transplantation will be custom grown personalized organs which don't trigger an immune response, and thus don't require immunosuppressants. This might be available in a limited form for some organs in our lifetimes. However, I'm skeptical that this will extend maximum human lifespans. The transplant surgery itself is extremely risky for elderly people. Consider the risks of cognitive decline caused by general anesthesia, post-surgical infections, blood clots, sarcopenia caused by bed rest, etc.