Scientists began experimenting with organ transplants in the 18th century. There were many failures over the years. By the 1900s, scientists began to see success.
Today, transplants are routine medical treatments. We are able to transplant many organs, including:
- Kidneys
- Livers
- Hearts
- Pancreata
- Kidney-pancreas
- Intestines
- Lungs
- Heart-lungs
- Arms, faces and reproductive organs
Medical breakthroughs such as tissue typing and drugs to combat organ rejection allow for more organ transplants and a longer survival rate for recipients. The most notable breakthrough in this area was Jean Borel's discovery of Cyclosporine in the mid-1970s. The FDA approved Cyclosporine for commercial use in November 1983.
The need for organ transplants continues to exceed the supply of organs. But as medical technology improves and more donors become available, the number of people who live longer and healthier lives continues to increase each year.
- First successful kidney transplant*
- 1954
- First successful kidney-pancreas transplant
- 1966
- First successful liver transplant*
- 1967
- First isolated pancreas transplant
- 1968
- First successful heart transplant
- 1968
- First successful heart-lung transplant
- 1981
- First successful single lung transplant*
- 1983
- First successful double lung transplant*
- 1986
- First successful living donor liver transplant
- 1989
- First successful living donor lung transplant
- 1990
* Transplant was the first of its kind in the world.
1st successful transplants
1954: Kidney
Dr. Joseph E. Murray
Brigham & Women's
1966: Pancreas/kidney
Drs. Richard Lillehei, William Kelly
University of Minnesota
1967: Liver
Dr. Thomas Starzl
University of Colorado
1968: Pancreas
Dr. Richard Lillehei
University of Minnesota
1968: Heart
Dr. Norman Shumway
Stanford University Hospital
1981: Heart/lung
Dr. Bruce Reitz
Stanford University Hospital
1983: Single lung
Dr. Joel Cooper
Toronto General Hospital
1986: Double lung
Dr. Joel Cooper
Toronto General Hospital
1989: Living liver
Dr. Christoph Broelsch
University of Chicago
1990: Living lung
Dr. Vaughn A. Starnes
Stanford University Medical Center