Organ donation is an altruistic way of giving back to others, but it can also make a huge difference by giving another person a second chance at life. There are over 117,000 men, women and children who are currently awaiting life-saving organ transplants. Every ten minutes a new person is added to the organ transplant list. Unfortunately, some will never make it to the top of the list. The generosity of a single donor can save up to eight people through organ donation and improve fifty more through tissue donation. Organ transplants are one of the most miraculous achievements of modern medicine. Becoming an organ donor is simple and can save the lives of many people in need of help. So how did organ transplantation begin, how is it done, and what was the future of organ donation and transplants? Organ transplants have been performed in the United States since 1950; Organ donation takes healthy organs and tissues from a human body, from a living or dead person for transplantation into another person. Transplanted organs and tissues replace diseased, damaged, or destroyed body parts. They can help restore the health of a person who might otherwise die or be severely disabled. The doctor first assesses whether the person is medically suitable for a transplant. In that case, the doctor refers the individual to a local transplant center. The transplant center evaluates the patient's health and mental state, as well as the level of social support to see if the person is a viable candidate for an organ transplant. Once a person is accepted as a transplant candidate, the patient must wait until suitable donor organs are found. Organs and tissues that can be donated and used for transplants include kidneys, lungs, heart,... middle of paper.. ...limbs, lungs, liver and other organs. another big step forward is deciding who can donate organs. starting with living donors and now including deceased and brain-dead donors. the development of anti-rejection drugs has increased the success of organ transplants. immunosuppressant drugs helped increase the success rate in the 1960s and 1970s. Cyclosporine was discovered in the 1980s and has greatly contributed to increasing the success rate of transplant patients and has helped improve patient outcomes. Splitting organs into pieces from living donors or cadaveric donors has been a huge advance in transplant medicine. the first divided liver dates back to 1996 and allowed a cadaveric liver to be used on multiple patients. Stem cell research is examining the adult and human embryo in an attempt to discover how organs develop and what stimulates their growth.