Liver and Kidney Transplantation: A Half-Century Historical Perspective

Abstract

This article describes the evolution of solid organ kidney and liver transplantation and expounds on the challenges and successes that the early transplant researchers and clinicians encountered. The article highlights the surgical pioneers, delves into the milestones of enhanced immunosuppression protocols, discusses key federal legislative and policy changes, and expounds on the ongoing disparities of organ supply and demand and the need for extended criteria and live donor organs to combat these shortages. Finally, recent changes in organ allocation and distribution policies are discussed. The authors also spotlight novel interventions that will further revolutionize abdominal transplantation in the next 50 years.

Keywords: Evolution of immunosuppression; Historical perspective; Kidney transplantation; Liver transplantation; Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network; Organ allocation; UNOS.