生体肝移植医療--不確実性と家族愛による擬制 (小特集2 「家族愛」の名のもとに:生体肝移植をめぐって)

概要

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In Japan, it organ transplants from brain-dead bodies have been discussed for a long time, and the law for organ transplantation was enacted in 1997. Though organ transplants from living related have not argued and have no status in that law, many living related liver transplants have been done, from a parent to a child, between adult brothers and sisters, between spouses, from an adult child to a parent, and so on.They are usually described as “family love, ” and decorated with beautiful stories. However, I found many problems told by the persons concerned, especially the donors. A part of a healthy liver of a donor is cut out and the donor experiences great changes of body, mind, and family relationship, but the donor can not get enough medical care. A family members cannot become a donor without his/her own will, but he she sometimes feels the pressure of other family members or relatives. Such problems are hidden by the mechanism that a family itself should solve problems in the family. It is needed to disclose the problems underlying living transplantation, and to discuss them among all concerned.