Retransplantation from brain death and organ transplant from Bioethic and Medical anthropological views

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26460587
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Medical sociology
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: YASUOKA Keiko 北海道大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (80463735)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 臓器移植 / ドナー家族 / 医療人類学 / 生命倫理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although retransplant have increased with developments in technology and revision of the law, it is difficult to find informants because recipients rely on living donors: this is perceived as shameful in Japanese culture. Two retransplant recipients agreed to be interviewed in 2014-2016; one became a re-retransplant candidate. I also learned much from other retransplant recipients off the record. My research shows transplant operations increasing and being perceived as less unusual among medical professionals and the public. However, public perception tends to be that an organ transplant saves a person’s whole life: knowledge of the need for retransplants is lacking. Now that transplant medicine enables recipients to live longer, retransplants are becoming more necessary, leading to greater organ shortages. Recipients have to confront the issue of seeking a second donor. Follow-up research into each organ is necessary, as recipients have different experiences following transplant.

Free Research Field

医療人類学