Why can’t certain organs such as the pancreas or brain be transplanted? (what other organs cannot be transplanted?)
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Would you still be you with a new brain? O.o
Just about everything but the brain can be transplanted. The medical field has come a long way, and if it’s not the brain, chances are it’s already been transplanted, to varying degrees of success. The pancreas can indeed be transplanted, as well as corneas, middle ears, intestines, uteri, testicles, etc. You name it, it’s been done (in many cases, however, there are other viable options that don’t require a long waitlist, the risk of rejection, and lifelong immunosuppressant medication, such as insulin replacement in lieu of a pancreas transplant, a colostomy bag instead of a bowel replacement, etc.).
The brain, however, is incredibly complex and delicate. Most organs and body parts can survive at least several hours chilled and retain functionality, but brain cell death begins within minutes of hypoxia, and can result in permanent brain damage. Given the time it takes to perform the operation, even if the patient and donor are already prepped and ready to go, it would be impossible to ensure proper oxygenation throughout the procedure.
Additionally, all the intricate connections of nerves and blood vessels are functionally impossible to do within the anatomy of the brain and skull. In the torso, organs can be shifted and even physically taken out of the body to make way for an operation to ensure a successful transplant. The skull and brain cannot be navigated in the same way, the skull is a hard orb of bone, the brain is, again, very delicate. You can’t easily get around all parts of the inside of the skull, and you can’t manhandle the brain around, either. That’s part of why some brain tumors and aneurysms are still inoperable to this day. So there’s essentially a litany of factors that continue to make brain science and surgery incredibly complex and in many cases impossible (at least for now and the foreseeable future).
Wouldn’t a brain transplant be a body transplant?
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