Life in Death: an Overview of Solid Organ Transplant in Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Advances in organ preservation, immuno­suppression, and surgical procedures have resulted in improved outcomes and survival rates. However, regarding organ transplant in different communities, these advances raise major ethical, policy, and religious issues.

Transplant progress in Iran, in relation to the rest of the world, has been slow at times and quick during others. Between 1988 and 1993, there was a rapid surge in experiments with tissue transplant in Iran, and the Shiraz Organ Transplantation Center, established in 1988, rose to become a pioneer of the most significant improvements, a leading center for organ transplant, and the only center for liver transplant in Iran.

In this article, we review milestones in the development of a successful organ transplant program and implementation of legislation in Iran. The Shiraz model of transplant is a new program that attempts to overcome the problems of organ shortage. We provide a description of the Iranian model of transplant and its restrictions and examine the most promising future trends in this exciting field.