Transplant query.....
Discussion
After watching a news item this evening about a 16 year old girl who had a heart transplant some years ago I got to thinking...the item said that she received the heart of a "middle aged" woman...now as this operation was done sveral years ago the heart could be 70 years old now...does the fact that it's now in a younger body give it a new lease of life or will it need to be replaced again in the future...just idle curiosity really...
Hearts can last up to about 110 years or so you know! 
Wee bit longer than your average person with heart failure will!
I'd guess that something that will last 50 odd years is better than something that's likely to fail in a few months, which is the position most of the people on the top of the list are in.
Suspectly ultimately some coronary related issue is likely to be her cause of death barring stepping out in front of the number 27, but a better innings than she was up for anyway.
They don't do heart transplants where I work, but I'm seeing our renal mob on Thursday so I'll ask them then if you like.
You've got me intrigued now too!
Wee bit longer than your average person with heart failure will!I'd guess that something that will last 50 odd years is better than something that's likely to fail in a few months, which is the position most of the people on the top of the list are in.
Suspectly ultimately some coronary related issue is likely to be her cause of death barring stepping out in front of the number 27, but a better innings than she was up for anyway.
They don't do heart transplants where I work, but I'm seeing our renal mob on Thursday so I'll ask them then if you like.
You've got me intrigued now too!
Im not a doc or anything, but the way i understand it is:
All your cells in your body are replaced over time (none of them are immortal), except your brain cells, these just die and are not replaced, you are not the same person you were when you were born or when you were 18, a bit like Trigger and his broom.
All your cells in your body are replaced over time (none of them are immortal), except your brain cells, these just die and are not replaced, you are not the same person you were when you were born or when you were 18, a bit like Trigger and his broom.
I'm only a bone surgeon, but, it's very complicated.
Cells respond to their environment, but also seem to have a genetic code for a "lifetime" programmed in to them.
we don;t know why some cells, tissues, organs age, but it's inexorable. Genetic copying seems to pick up mistakes over the years, not all cells reproduce.
The comment about tattoos is easy though, the dye simply remains under the skin; fully under, and the skin grows and sheds over it as usual.
my mate's a transplant surgeon, but I'm not going to ask him, he confuses me....
Cells respond to their environment, but also seem to have a genetic code for a "lifetime" programmed in to them.
we don;t know why some cells, tissues, organs age, but it's inexorable. Genetic copying seems to pick up mistakes over the years, not all cells reproduce.
The comment about tattoos is easy though, the dye simply remains under the skin; fully under, and the skin grows and sheds over it as usual.
my mate's a transplant surgeon, but I'm not going to ask him, he confuses me....
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