Preface

One of the most interesting and challenging fields of medicine and surgery is organ donation and transplantation. It is a field that has made tremendous strides during the last few decades through the combined input and efforts of scientists from various specialties including surgeons, hepatologists, nephrologists, immunologists, ethicists, and infectious disease specialists. What started as a dream of pioneers in the field has become a reality for the thousands of patients whose lives can now be saved and improved. However, challenges remain significant, as do the expectations, for what was once an experimental treatment could eventually become the future of medicine because it involves most organs including the heart, lungs, eyes, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and small intestine.

Written by an excellent group of world authorities, this book presents the challenges in the field of organ donation and transplantation, including ethical, legal, and medical issues, as well as the technical and immunological problems facing experts involved in the care of transplant patients. In addition to the knowledge shared, the authors provide their personal clinical experience, making this book an extremely useful tool for every scientist and physician practicing in the field of transplantation.

The book is divided into three sections on organ donation and transplantation. The chapters include information on the current state and different types of donation, the challenges identified in increasing donations as well as potential solutions.

This book is a worthy contribution to the literature on organ donation and transplantation. It is designed for scientists, physicians, and surgeons across various specialties who are invested in improving the lives of transplant patients.

> **Georgios Tsoulfas, MD, Ph.D., FICS, FACS** Professor of Transplantation Surgery, Chief Department of Transplantation Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece

**1**

Section 1

Organization of Organ

Donation

### Section 1
