Do donated organs age according to the donor´s age or do they adapt to the age of the new body?
In:
The transplant maintains the original age and then effectively ages faster due to degeneration from the recipients immune response.
I have a corneal transplant, which although it is still a transplant, it is not as extreme as an internal organ in regards to immune suppression etc. I have a degenerative condition that advanced in my early 20’s. They held off surgery as long as possible because I was so young. Many transplants are eventually destroyed by the immune system and the earlier they start, the more I will need in my lifetime. I was originally told to expect failure in 10-15 years as transplants from older/middle age people are more common and tend to succumb to the immune destruction faster, however the transplant I received actually came from a younger person (never given exact age) so they are hoping this one will last 20-30 years.
Fun Fact – My transplant gets hay fever but I don’t. Just the one eye goes red and watery. My other eye and nose stay unaffected.
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