Ethical Issues of Organ Transplantation in Non-Life-Saving Situations

Abstract

The issue of organ transplantation in non-life-saving situations is not new (consider, for example, transplantation of the cornea), but it has been rekindled in a new way by the increasingly complex interventions carried out today, for example transplant of the hand, knee or larynx. Here, I offer some general reflections on this topic, with the intent of setting the background and establishing a reference context in which we can consider the bioethical problems raised by these transplants and orient the development of guidelines and legislation. Considering that clinical policies regarding non-life-saving organ transplants are still being elaborated, with the aim of defining precise and shared medical guidelines, I do not wish to take a particular, clinical position but to proceed with an ethical analysis of the problem, offering useful points of reference, delineating conditions to respect, and recalling implications for those who have to contend with this new frontier of medicine and surgery.