Jane23
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 Posted: 09/16/05 - 17:24 Post subject: Man leaves hospital after receiving six-organ transplant |
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Greg Marshall was born with Gardener’s Syndrome, a chromosomal defect that causes polyps in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Many with the disease die young of colon cancer, unless they have colon transplants or more.
Greg Marshall had an abdominal tumor taken out back in1977 and he had a small bowel transplant. Over the years, this transplant caused so much scarring in his digestive system that his other organs began to fail.
He hasn’t been able to eat solid food for full two years and was hardly able to walk. On the 24th August he received a phone call in which he found out he is about to have a new transplant the following day. Greg Marshall received six new organs including stomach, liver, pancreas, small bowel, colon and a kidney, all from just one donor during 14-hours surgery.
He is recovering successfully in the near-by hotel, and is getting ready to go home soon. The surgeons are amazed by the fact that they managed to replace six organs and make them work. However, there is a possibility of organs rejection during the first three months to a year after a transplant. But rejection and complications can occur beyond that time as well.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, there have only been 20 liver-kidney-pancreas-intestine transplants performed in the United States.
The highest multiple-organ transplant on record took place in Miami, when a baby received eight organs last year. |
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