Transplantologist

A transplantologist is a representative of a relatively young field of medicine.

The founder of the science of transplantology was Dr. V. P. Demikhov, who was the first in world practice to transplant a donor heart into a dog, this was in 1951. Only 16 years after the successful experiment, in 1967, Demikhov's South African successor, surgeon Christian Bernard, performed a similar operation on a human body.

Today, the science of organ transplantation is considered one of the most modern and promising, which may allow in the future to solve many problems associated with the treatment of severe pathologies.

Who is a transplant surgeon?

A transplantologist is a medical specialist in biophysiology who studies the problems of transplanting organs and individual tissues, develops methods for their long-term preservation, and is interested in the creation and use of artificial organs (for example, artificial hearts or kidneys).

A doctor who is a specialist in this field can work in transplant centers in the largest medical institutions in the country. In collaboration with an immunologist, he combines the most suitable pairs for implantation:

• the most optimal donor who donates an organ or tissue as a transplant;
• a suitable recipient (the organism to which the transplant will be performed).

A transplant doctor must create all the necessary conditions to transplant foreign tissue, then perform the operation, monitor and observe the patient in the postoperative period. In addition, such a doctor can consult patients with an already transplanted donor or installed artificial organ. His competence also includes receiving patients on transplantation issues.

When should you see a transplant specialist?

A transplant doctor is consulted when there is a need to transplant some tissue structure or replace an organ. In addition to the transplant issue itself, the doctor also solves other related problems:

• organization of surgical care and transplantation service;
• provision of specialized medical care to surgical patients (planned, emergency or urgent);
• carrying out the necessary methods of examination, diagnosis and therapy;
• monitoring side effects of prescribed medications;
• referral for inpatient treatment, its organization;
• determination of the treatment plan and protocol for patients, preparation for surgical intervention;
• conducting compatibility tests;
• determination of the method of anesthesia;
• development of tactics for postoperative patient management, prevention and warning of negative consequences;
• collaboration with other medical specialties and services.

What tests should be taken when visiting a transplant specialist?

As a rule, people contact a transplantologist already having consultations and referrals from other medical specialists: a surgeon, an emergency and urgent care physician, an oncologist, etc. Such referrals are usually accompanied by the results of studies, analyses, and tests that justify the proposed surgical intervention. No additional analyses need to be carried out unless they have been prescribed by the doctor in advance.

When going to an appointment or consultation with a transplant surgeon, take with you all the documentation you have that concerns the disease that concerns you. If such documents are with your attending physician, then notify him in advance that you want to visit a transplant surgeon. In this case, the specialists will exchange the necessary documents in advance.

No special additional preparation is required for the doctor's appointment.

What diagnostic methods does a transplant surgeon use?

Before a transplant operation, it is very important to carry out a complete and comprehensive diagnosis of the body - this will allow the pathology to be identified at an early stage of development and eliminated before the intervention.

What diagnostic methods can be used in transplantology:

• magnetic resonance imaging;
• positron emission tomography;
• computer, or virtual, method of colonoscopy and enterography;
• computer angiography and tomography;
• Dopplerography (duplex examination);
• radiography;
• encephalography;
• ultrasound examination.

These diagnostic methods are non-invasive and provide the maximum amount of data necessary to assess the patient's condition, confirm the diagnosis and determine the possibility and need for surgery.

Additional methods may include tests to determine blood type, compatibility, and the presence of latent infections. If necessary, a biopsy of the affected tissues, histology, assessment of the blood coagulation system, ECG, etc. are performed.

What does a transplant surgeon do?

A transplantologist is a medical specialist with higher education who deals with issues of transplantation of various organs, for example:

• kidneys,
• liver,
• bone marrow,
• lungs,
• pancreas, etc.

Transplantology covers a number of areas:

• xenotransplantation direction – transfer of tissues into the human body from other animal organisms;
• allotransplantation direction – transfer of tissues and organs from one human body to another;
• transplantation of artificial organs;
• autotransplantation direction – tissue transplantation within the same organism;
• creation of clones (asexual reproduction) of organs using stem cells.

The body has a certain number of undifferentiated, stem cell structures. They are located in the bone marrow. Such cells are unique - they can be called the founders of any other cells. Stem cells can be transformed into such structures as myocytes, hepatocytes and other cellular components of organs. Therefore, now the issue of growing a clone of an organ that needs to be replaced is especially relevant, and soon transplantology will deal with this problem.

What diseases does a transplant surgeon treat?

A transplant specialist does everything possible to treat severe pathologies that require tissue and organ replacement. Today, doctors have the qualifications to transplant virtually any existing organ. Successes have been achieved in transplanting the heart, lung, kidney, liver, digestive tract elements (pancreas, small and large intestines), and genitals.

In the late 90s, American and French specialists successfully performed a hand transplant.

At the moment, scientists are working on such a complex issue as replacing structures of the nervous system.

For an experienced transplantologist, the task of transplanting a single tissue section or an entire organ has long been no longer impossible. Modern specialists increasingly practice complex transplants, during which several damaged organs are simultaneously replaced in the injured person. For example, a heart and damaged lung, kidney and pancreas are transplanted.

Advice from a transplant surgeon

Before choosing which specialist to contact, be sure to inquire about the reputation of the clinic and the specific doctor, the availability of certificates and licenses to perform this type of surgery, and patient reviews.

You have every right to ask any questions you may have: don't be afraid of it.

Good clinical institutions will definitely advise you on the most optimal and competent treatment, and not the most expensive and unnecessary one. Do not hesitate to contact several specialists at once in order to compare their treatment tactics later.

If you are already convinced of the required qualifications of the chosen specialist, try to contact former patients of the clinic, who can provide you with their own recommendations. This will allow you to assess the reputation of the doctor throughout his medical activity.

The next question that should be raised before surgery is: what can be expected in case of force majeure? A competent specialist must have a plan for the development of unforeseen situations. The doctor must inform the patient of all the dangers and possible consequences that may arise during or after the operation.

Don't miss the opportunity to check the chosen doctor for professional suitability through other medical institutions. It is important that the clinic where the operation will be performed is accredited.

Remember that transplantation is an irreversible operation and it will be impossible to turn back time later.

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