I think that this is horrific. Lyndsey Scott received a lung transplant after suffering with cystic fibrosis all her life and recently passed away in July 2009. After her death it was revealed that the donor was a smoker of 30+ years.
The government is even condoning these types of compromised transplants because the basis of the transplants are "whether or not the would work"
It seems ludicrous to me that any medical institution would condone giving a patient lungs that the donor systematically destroyed for over three decades. Even if they were in "fin working order", I would imagine that a smokers lungs would be more susceptible to diseases (like say pneumonia- which Mrs. Scott died from less than 28 weeks after the surgery) and have a permanently reduced lung capacity.
Even if we are to say that smoker's lungs can be rehabilitated to better working order, I believe the doctors should have at least notified the patient of the conditions and lifestyle of the donor to the patient that was undergoing this life-threatening surgery.
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/woman-died-after-being-given-smokers-lungs-2000852.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/l...ers-lungs-2000852.html</a>
The government is even condoning these types of compromised transplants because the basis of the transplants are "whether or not the would work"
It seems ludicrous to me that any medical institution would condone giving a patient lungs that the donor systematically destroyed for over three decades. Even if they were in "fin working order", I would imagine that a smokers lungs would be more susceptible to diseases (like say pneumonia- which Mrs. Scott died from less than 28 weeks after the surgery) and have a permanently reduced lung capacity.
Even if we are to say that smoker's lungs can be rehabilitated to better working order, I believe the doctors should have at least notified the patient of the conditions and lifestyle of the donor to the patient that was undergoing this life-threatening surgery.
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/woman-died-after-being-given-smokers-lungs-2000852.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/l...ers-lungs-2000852.html</a>