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The acceptability of pig organ xenografts to patients awaiting a transplant
Author(s) -
Arundeii M.A.,
McKenzie I.F.C.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
xenotransplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.052
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1399-3089
pISSN - 0908-665X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3089.1997.tb00166.x
Subject(s) - medicine , kidney , xenotransplantation , transplantation , economic shortage , heart transplants , organ transplantation , surgery , heart transplantation , linguistics , philosophy , government (linguistics)
As the waiting lists for allotransplants of heart, kidney, and liver continue to grow, alternative sources of organs for transplantation are being sought: xenografts from pigs to humans could be a solution. However, is this solution acceptable to patients? To answer this question, we sought opinions, using a questionnaire, from 277 patients on a waiting list for a cadaver transplant for either a kidney (207), heart, or heart/lung transplant (70); there was a 65% (188) response rate. Approximately 75% of respondents had heard of xenografting; 50% would accept a xenograft for themselves and 43% for a relative; and 10% found a xenograft to be unacceptable and 40% were unsure and wanted more information. The most acceptable donor animal was the pig (27%), but 24% would accept organs from any animal; 68% had no objection to breeding animals as a source of organs and considered that the most appropriate use of animal tissue to be when no human organs were available. Thus, a minimum of 50% and a maximum of 90% of patients awaiting an allograft would accept a xenograft, although most would prefer a human rather than an animal donor.