About Organ Transplantation

Surgeon Saints

Cosmas and Damianus were 2nd century physician-surgeons in Asia Minor. Later on they became Catholic patron saints of medicine. According to the legend, they grafted of a leg from a recently deceased Moor to replace a Roman named Justitianus’ sick leg. This is called the Miracle of the Black Leg, and it may be the first claimed organ transplantation in the world.

15th Century Gothic Swabian painting of Cosmas and Damianus

There is a long way from these saints, who in pictures have angels flying around them by the operation table, to a modern organ transplantation:

A Practical Example

A man sat on a tree and sawed a branch. Let us call him Jussi. He fell down, damaged his head and passed out. At a hospital he was connected to a respirator and doctors told, that he was braindead and nothing could be done for him.

In this kind of situation, doctors will always mention the possibility of a organ transplantation when discussing with the relatives of the braindead. In many countries, it doesn’t matter if one is registered as an organ donor or not, because relatives can always make the final decision.

Let us imagine, that Jussi’s relatives would say no in the previous example, as they usually do. In that case the he would stay at the hospital as long as his heart will beat. The so called natural dead would follow without doubt in a couple of days, the claim which is used by supporters of the braindeath criterion. However, this is not entirely undisputed. According to the latest results in the intensive care, there are many possibilities to keep a braindead person alive.

In case Jussi’s relatives accept an organ transplantation, the he would be taken to an operation room, where one or more of his organs will be removed. Afterwards the respirator will be turned off and Jussi’s heart would stop beating. His organs would be immediately transplanted and might give a new life for their new owners.

What distinguishes Justitianus from Jussi, is the concept of braindeath. Because of it, Jussi’s situation is so incomprehensible and problematic for his relatives. Due to it, the operation of the saints is a miracle, for they only had access to dead bodies. It is purely thanks to the concept of braindeath, we are able to perform organ transplantations, which surely have made many of our dreams of the eternal life possible.