How much does a person and organs cost? Desperate earnings in 2021

Have you ever asked yourself the question “How much is a person worth?”, or “How much do human organs cost?” The question is ambiguous, but interesting. Oddly enough, human organs are considered one of the most popular goods, both in Russia and the world. In the article we will talk about how much body parts are sold for, as well as how legal it is and whether it can be done.

Let's figure out together how much human organs cost

How much is a person worth in general?

Man, by his nature, is a unique creature, although he is an animal by nature. People, unlike animals, have the ability to take a creative approach to the process of work. Human organs have a liquid value and are in high demand. When estimating how much human organs cost, according to data from various sources, different criteria are used, and therefore the cost differs. According to one information, the cost of human organs is approximately 1 million US dollars; according to other sources, the total cost of organs reaches almost 4 billion rubles. It is important to note that the final cost depends on the lifestyle of the person that the donor led, and also, as a consequence, the quality of the organs being sold.

Hence, the logical question is “How can you sell a person?”, or how can you sell organs. Let's talk about this later in the article.

How much human organs cost depends on the quality of life of the donor himself.

What determines the price of a heart and how much it costs

The heart is one of the most important human organs that cannot be removed during life. Therefore, its cost is very high. It depends on factors:

• is a complex transplant (heart + lungs) necessary?
• urgency of the operation;
• place of purchase of the organ: the black market or an agreement with the relatives of the person killed in an accident or at work.

By making an agreement with the relatives of a person who has already died, it will be possible to obtain a human heart for only a few hundred thousand. If a person is in a coma and further resuscitation does not lead to results, then intermediaries can contact relatives; they set a price from 8 to 13 million per organ. There are black transplantologists who are ready to help find a donor for 3-4 million rubles.

Total cost of human organs

The value of human organs varies. However, by comparing information from various sources, a price segment is compiled for each organ:

• Two kidneys – 50 thousand US dollars according to some sources, and up to 140 thousand US dollars according to others;
• Liver – prices start from 120 thousand US dollars;
• Pancreas – 70-120 thousand US dollars;
• Lightweight (2 pieces) – from 40 to 200 thousand US dollars;
• Heart – about 250 thousand US dollars;
• Bone marrow – 23 thousand US dollars per 1 gram (an adult man contains up to 2.5 kg of the substance, which in monetary terms is up to 60 million US dollars);
• Cornea - information varies greatly. According to some sources, prices are about 5 thousand US dollars, according to other information from 300 thousand US dollars. It is difficult to determine a single average price;
• Male or female gonads – up to 15 thousand US dollars;

Prices are approximate and are not final. It is also worth noting that the organs of a living person are 2 times more expensive than those of a dead person.

Liver

It is considered the main filter of the body. It is the liver that ensures the removal of toxic breakdown products of alcohol, fats and medications. Therefore, this organ suffers especially severely in people who abuse alcohol, fast food, etc.

Liver transplantation is a procedure that is becoming increasingly popular. The price is:

• a whole liver is $120,000;
• fragment - $60,000.

In rubles it will be 7,645,000 and 3,823,000, respectively.

Without compromising health, we sell renewable

It's not just vital organs that are sold. There is also a high demand for renewable parts of oneself. The current situation in the world with COVID-19 is also recalled. The blood of people who have been ill is valued, as it has antibodies. Renewable products that are sold without harming one’s own health include:

Hair

Blood

Sperm

Ovules

The cost of renewable human parts is lower than that of non-renewable organs.

How much does sperm cost?

Semen donation is quite common. Single women often turn to artificial insemination services, and therefore there is a demand for sperm. An adult male between the ages of 18 and 35 can become a donor. Before becoming a donor, you will need to take a bunch of different tests: hepatitis, HIV test, general blood test, and DNA test. You will not have to pay for tests from the list; clinics will cover the costs themselves. The price for delivery is different: starts from 1.5 thousand rubles and up to 4 thousand rubles. Before donation, you will need to comply with certain restrictions: abstain from sexual intercourse for 3-5 days, do not use drugs, tobacco and alcohol, and it is also prohibited to visit baths and saunas.

You can donate biomaterial no more than 6-8 times a month. But clinics do not always need such a quantity of material.

Men have the opportunity to donate their biomaterial for a fee

How much will the hair cost?

There are hair transplant operations. This requires real human hair, not artificial hair. Hair is in good demand. It is important that only long hair is suitable for sale; the length must be at least 50 cm, so in most cases only women can sell hair. The most valuable hair is considered to be hair that has not been dyed and also has a light shade.

For a kilogram of light and healthy hair they can offer up to 100 thousand rubles. Shades close to light brown are estimated at 40-60 thousand per kilogram. Dark, split ends and dyed hair are valued much lower and can cost around 10-20 thousand per kilogram.

How much do eggs cost?

Women experience various illnesses that can lead to infertility, but such women still want to give birth. For such cases, there is egg donation. Any woman who is in the age range of 18-30 years and has given birth to at least one healthy child can sell her eggs. Before taking the exam, you will have to undergo numerous medical examinations and tests. In the Russian Federation, they pay from 50 to 80 thousand rubles for one egg. You can take it no more than once every three months and no more than 6-8 times in your entire life.

How much does it cost to donate blood?

The easiest way to sell a part of yourself is to become a blood donor. Blood is needed for transfusion, for people who, for example, have experienced large blood loss. The blood donation option is available to men and women over the age of 18 and weighing more than 50 kg. You can donate no more than 400 ml at a time. They pay either 3,500 rubles or 550 rubles and a food ration. You can take it no more than 5 times a year, and therefore receive no more than 20 thousand rubles. By donating blood regularly over several years, you can earn the title of honorary donor and receive additional vacation days and additional payments.

Donating blood is the easiest and most legal way to make money from your own body.

Lifestyle after transplant

The patient’s lifestyle in the postoperative period after a heart transplantation procedure consists of the following components:

1. Nutrition. It is important for the patient to switch to a healthy lifestyle, completely stop drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking. It is necessary to follow a diet, excluding harmful foods (smoked, fried, fatty, etc.) from your diet.
2. Physical activity. During the first month after surgery, the patient must strictly adhere to the restrictive regime. However, normal daily activity should still be present. After a couple of months, the patient is allowed to return to driving a car, and after a few more, begin light physical activity (walking, gymnastics, etc.).
3. Protection against infections. The patient should try to avoid visiting public places for several months after transplantation and contact with people suffering from infectious diseases. It is equally important to wash your hands thoroughly before eating, drink only boiled water, and eat food that has been well heat-treated. This is due to the fact that due to suppressed immunity, the likelihood of the patient becoming infected with viral, fungal, and bacterial diseases increases after the start of immunosuppressive treatment.
4. Use of medications. This part of a heart transplant patient's life is the most important. The patient must carefully observe the time of taking medications and strictly follow the dosage prescribed by the doctor. As a rule, we are talking about the use of hormonal drugs and cytostatics, the action of which is aimed at suppressing one’s own immunity, which attacks foreign tissue of the heart muscle.

In general, it should be noted that the patient's life after surgery undoubtedly changes significantly, but the quality of life without swelling, palpitations and shortness of breath changes for the better.

Harmful, but not fatal - Organ donation

Even if you meet all the medical criteria and express a desire to become an organ donor, you may still encounter obstacles. Each country has its own laws and regulations in this regard. Thus, in Russia only a relative can become an organ donor during their lifetime. And if you decide to become a donor in the absence of a relationship, then this will be considered a criminal offense and fall under Article 120 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. There is no direct ban on the purchase and sale of organs in Russia, but there are precedents for problems arising, both for the donors themselves and for the doctors treating such cases.

What is the cost of a liver

The liver is one of the most vital organs in the human body. The liver takes on all the damage that we cause to the body by drinking alcohol, fast food and other unhealthy treats. Thus, due to excessive alcohol consumption over a long period of time, liver cirrhosis occurs. The liver must be protected; it performs many important functions: it is responsible for processing food, regulating the body’s temperature, and also removing toxic substances.

The entire liver or part of it can be donated. It is important to note that a whole liver is not required for the normal functioning of the body; only a part will be sufficient. The cost of the entire liver will cost 120 thousand US dollars, part of the liver is half the cost of the whole one, i.e. at 60 thousand. The liver can be taken from a living patient or from a deceased one, but according to most studies, the liver of a living person adapts to the recipient’s body much faster.

It is important to understand that donation during your lifetime can significantly affect your physical condition.

Bone marrow prices

When answering the question “How much does a person cost”, it is important to focus on one of the most important organs – the bone marrow. In this case, we are not talking about the brain that is in our head, but about something a little different. The bone marrow is responsible for most of the blood processes in the body.

The functioning of the bone marrow largely determines the condition of the body, and in case of disturbances it can lead to leukemia or other diseases. If a person does become ill with one of the blood diseases, a bone marrow transplant may be required.

The process of bone marrow collection is completely harmless to the donor. Elements of the donor's bone marrow help patients fight cancer. Bone marrow is a very expensive element - the cost is approximately 23.5 thousand US dollars per 1 g.

How much does it cost to sell a kidney?

According to statistics, the majority of organ transplants involve kidneys, namely 75%. For normal life, a person needs 1 kidney. An operation, even the simplest one, is always a risk, because you can never say with 100% probability that everything will be successful and the transplanted organ will take root in the human body. However, modern medicine uses the most advanced technologies and methods, and therefore the chances of an unsuccessful outcome are virtually minimized. The prices for a human kidney are quite immodest. The average global price for a kidney is 70 thousand US dollars. In the Russian Federation, the price starts from 2.5 million rubles and reaches 6 million rubles.

Bone marrow

The human body is very complex, and many of its processes do not occur without the participation of the above-mentioned organ. Bone marrow, in particular, produces hemoglobin, an essential component of blood. The deficiency of the latter manifests itself especially strongly in diseases such as leukemia. In this case, a bone marrow transplant can help in recovery.

How much do they pay for it? Just 1 ml is sold for $23,000 (1,465,331 rubles).

The bone marrow removal procedure does not cause damage to the donor - its volume is restored quite quickly.

How much does a brain cost?

Probably, the brain is the most complex substance in the human body, responsible for a combination of various processes, conducts mental activity, and gives commands to the rest of the body. The capabilities of the human brain are still not fully understood and are the subject of debate and controversy. Due to the complexity of the structure, there have been no precedents for human brain transplantation, so it is impossible to talk about the cost of this organ. At the moment, perhaps the cost should be described as “priceless.” There is a possibility that somewhere on the black market you can find a human brain, but this is already an illegal trade in organs and a very immoral activity. I think that over the coming years medicine will actively develop and soon we will learn about the possibility of human brain transplantation.

There are currently no cases of human brain transplantation

Contraindications for transplantation

Such surgical intervention is contraindicated in the following situations:

1. Severe form of pulmonary hypertension (presence of high pressure in the pulmonary artery).
2. A severe form of diabetes mellitus, in which there is damage to the retina, kidneys, and blood vessels.
3. Active tuberculosis process, HIV infection.
4. Acute forms of infectious diseases.
5. Severe forms of liver and kidney failure.
6. Systemic diseases of an autoimmune nature (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, others).
7. Severe degree of chronic obstructive disease.
8. Drug and alcohol addiction.
9. Oncological diseases.
10. Acute stages of mental illness.

We talked about the cost of a heart transplant in Moscow.

The price of a lung

The lungs perform the respiratory function in the human body. They supply oxygen to all organs. In modern society, where there are many factories, factories and industries that emit vapors into the atmosphere and, as a result, the air becomes dirty. People breathe this poisonous air and develop lung diseases. Lung donation is not an easy process, since after the death of a person the lungs are suitable for transplantation for only 2 hours, after which they die after the carrier. In this regard, it is necessary to act quickly and the cost of the operation, including two lungs, increases - from 20 to 30 thousand US dollars.

Heart transplantation from a religious perspective

Previously, when the field of transplantology was just beginning to develop, representatives of almost all religions had mixed opinions in relation to heart transplantation. For example, representatives of Christianity believed that such an operation was not a godly act, since a person’s still living heart was actually taken away. In addition, it is believed that theoretically a person can emerge from a comatose state after a few months. But due to the fact that doctors clearly differentiate the state of coma and brain death, more and more clergy in recent years have begun to say that saving someone else’s life after one’s own death is the true purpose of a believer, since the basis of such an action is sacrifice. And giving your heart is a benefit to other people.

We looked at the cost of a heart transplant in Russia.

How much is a heart worth?

The heart is the epicenter of many processes in the body. As a result, it is more vulnerable to disease, as the diet of where the disease can come from increases. In adulthood, many people's hearts begin to fail and may require surgery or even a heart transplant. After a heart attack or stroke, a person’s heart cannot cope with the load and therefore the body may need a new one. But even after performing a heart transplant, most often it does not save patients, because most heart transplant operations end in death. If the operation is successful, the patient’s life expectancy is increased by no more than 5 years. Despite this, heart transplant operations are carried out in many countries, because if a heart transplant is not performed, then an alternative option to maintain the patient’s life is to connect him to a stationary machine. Based on all these facts, the cost of a heart and its transplant surgery increases significantly. Prices average 250 thousand US dollars or from 17 million rubles.

Heart surgery and heart transplantation are very common in transplantology

Method of performing transplant surgery

The heart transplant procedure in Moscow begins with the removal of the donor organ from the body and placing it in a container with a cardioplegic solution for no more than 4-6 hours. During this time, preoperative preparation of the recipient is carried out (premedication - sedative and analgesic drugs are administered). Then, in the operating room, using general anesthesia, the recipient's anterior chest wall is cut, large vessels are connected to a machine that performs artificial blood circulation (ACB), which will perform the function of an artificial heart during the operation.

Then the left and right ventricles of the heart are cut off. The atria are preserved. Preserving your own atria allows you to leave the sinus node active, which sets the rhythm of heart contractions and is the pacemaker.

The donor's atria are then sutured to the recipient's atria and a temporary pacemaker is placed to maintain adequate heart rate after transplantation. The chest is sutured and an aseptic bandage is applied. This operation takes several hours, usually no more than 6.

The next stage of surgical intervention is cardiotonic (supporting cardiac activity) and immunosuppressive treatment. Immune suppression (usually through the use of cyclosporine) is required to eliminate rejection reactions and successful graft engraftment.

What is the price of a head

There are cases when organ transplantation is not able to help a person and death is inevitable. In this case, we can talk about transplanting a person’s head onto another, healthy body. As of today, such operations have not been performed on humans, but one American doctor performed a similar operation on experimental animals. His plans include carrying out a similar operation on a person; a person has already been found who agrees to the operation. According to the surgeon himself, the cost of the operation will be 12 million US dollars, of which 5 million will go to the donor’s body.

Possible complications after transplantation

Among the complications that can occur in the early period after surgery are bleeding from the wound and infectious lesions. The first can be treated quite successfully by reopening the wound and suturing the source of bleeding. To prevent infectious (viral, fungal, bacterial) complications, the patient is prescribed antibiotic medications and an adequate immunosuppression regimen.

In the long-term period after surgery, the development of rejection of the transplanted heart, as well as dysfunction of the coronary arteries, accompanied by myocardial ischemia of the donor organ, is likely.

Bones and ligaments

Athletes often experience problems related to bones and ligaments. Numerous sprains, fractures, tears, tears, and so on, all this is normal for athletes. Often, fractures and sprains heal with the help of conservative treatment methods. In some cases, the ligaments are cut out, because the body can continue to function normally without them. So, for example, a fairly common injury among football players is a serious injury by sports standards - a cruciate ligament rupture.

If the conservative method cannot be used, and removal does not create the desired effect, then the ligament or bone is replaced. The advantage of ligaments and bones, compared to other human organs, is that they do not have a shelf life. The cost is not the same as other organs and depends on the part of the person's body. Thus, a cruciate ligament costs about 5.5 thousand US dollars. The cost of the brush will be approximately $350.

Eggs and sperm

They are required for those ladies who, for certain reasons, cannot get pregnant.
The material is taken from completely healthy donors no older than 35 years old who have successfully given birth at least once in their lives. Semen is obtained from men under 35 years of age who have excellent health, good physical characteristics and good appearance. One portion of sperm is estimated from 500 to 3,500 rubles. The cost depends on the specific medical center.

An egg is bought for an average of 65,000 rubles. The procedure for its extraction is carried out under anesthesia.

Leather

Leather also has value. Skin grafting operations are required for people who have suffered skin damage, severe burns - thermal, electrical and chemical. If possible, skin is transplanted from another part of the victim’s body. If the first option is not possible, then they resort to donor assistance. As a rule, donors are deceased people who have agreed in advance to donate their skin for the benefit of others. Leather costs $10 per square inch.

The skin is not such an expensive organ; its cost compared to other organs is insignificant

Current state of heart transplantation in Russia

Oksana Mikhailovna Drapkina , professor, doctor of medical sciences:

– We have a very interesting, intriguing topic: “The current state of heart transplantation in Russia,” Khalilulin Timur Abdulnaimovich.

Timur Abdulnaimovich Khalilulin , professor:

– Good afternoon, dear colleagues, the topic is indeed very interesting. Heart transplantation is essentially a radical treatment for congestive heart failure. And in recent years, the number of heart transplants in the world has remained fairly stable. On average, about 3,700 heart transplants are performed annually. The vast majority of these operations take place in the United States. The rest, about 1,500 operations, are carried out in Europe and other countries. Russia is also making quite serious steps in this direction. In recent years, not only the volume of heart transplant operations has increased, but also the number of centers where these surgeries are performed has increased. Now these are large cardiac surgery centers located in Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, Belgorod, Volgograd, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, and Moscow.

The leader in recent years in terms of the volume of surgical interventions performed is the Federal Center for Transplantology and Artificial Organs named after Academician Shumakov. The experience of our center allows us to speak about a significant increase in the volume of heart transplants in recent years, and this trend is increasing annually. Over the past year, we managed to perform more than 60 heart transplants. This year, in less than five months, more than 30 heart transplants have been performed, which is approximately the same as in 2011. This suggests that this year, most likely, we will significantly exceed the volume of heart transplants last year.

The results obtained allow us to achieve the fact that in terms of heart transplantation volumes we are now among the ten largest cardiac surgery centers in the world. On average, most centers abroad perform from 10 to 19 heart transplants. This year, by increasing the volume of heart transplants to more than 70 transplants per year, we hope to become one of the three leading cardiac surgery centers in the world in terms of the volume of heart transplants.

What is the pre-transplant pathology in patients who are on the waiting list? Both abroad and here, these are predominantly patients with two main nosologies - coronary heart disease, its complicated course, and dilated cardiomyopathy. That is, those pathologies that lead to the development of severe congestive heart failure. However, it is worth noting that in recent years the number of repeated heart retransplantations has increased - abroad and here it is about 2-3% of all surgical interventions performed. These are already those patients who previously, many years ago, underwent a heart transplant and they experienced possible complications after the operation - this is coronary artery disease of the transplanted heart, persistent acute rejection of cellular antibody-mediated type. These patients with advanced heart failure have already been re-listed for heart transplantation and have undergone repeat surgery. This is happening due to the fact that the number of heart transplants is increasing, and more and more patients can count not only on heart transplantation, but also on its repeated use.

The volume of heart transplants is usually increasing due to many criteria. Firstly, by expanding the indications, by increasing the age of heart recipients, the age of the donor, and making patients on the waiting list heavier. In particular, we previously assumed that the average age of patients would be around 30-35 years. And these were predominantly patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, which is characteristic of a younger age. Now, due to the fact that many patients have coronary heart disease on the waiting list, these may be previously operated patients who have undergone aneurysm resection or coronary artery bypass grafting. The age of patients is already increasing, on average, to more than 40 years. These may also be patients of an older age group - these may be patients 60 and 70 years old. The percentage of patients undergoing such surgery has been increasing in recent years. The number of seriously ill patients on the waiting list is increasing. Patients are graded according to UNOS status into several categories. Category with status 1A and 1B is the most severe cohort of patients who, in addition to drug therapy, also require the administration of intravenous inotropic drugs, and some of them require mechanical circulatory support using various ECMO circulatory support systems, implantable artificial ventricle, and so on. About a third of patients on the waiting list - from 25% to 35% - are on this type of medical or mechanical heart support. This ensures a fairly high severity of patients on the waiting list. But nevertheless, the results, which we will talk about a little later, allow us to talk about the good effectiveness of such interventions.

Expanding the possibilities of heart transplantation is possible by increasing the age of donors used for heart transplantation. These are donors diagnosed as brain dead, and their average age is also increasing. It now averages over 35 years. These can also be patients of an older age group, about 50 years old, provided that they have a intact graft without complex uncorrectable pathology that would not allow the graft to work effectively after surgery.

In terms of expanding the indications for heart transplantation, donor hearts with possible correctable pathology can also be used. One such option is, for example, the use of donor hearts with correctable mitral regurgitation. For example, this is a splitting of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve with the presence of regurgitation. When, before the operation, before implantation of the donor heart begins, the mitral valve is actually reconstructed in the basin, and then this heart is implanted into the patient. This is one of the possible options for expanding the capabilities of transplantation. With a good result, the patient was discharged home after such a transplant, and now more than a year has passed since the operation, and he feels well, without complications or problems.

What are the results of the surgical interventions performed? How effectively do they affect the quality and length of life of patients? On average, the life span of patients after heart transplantation is 10-12 years. This is a general summary of foreign and Russian data. In our country, according to our research, the actuarial five-year survival rate is close to 80%. This indicates really good results. But these results must be coupled with a high quality of life, which heart transplantation can provide to patients with initially severe congestive heart failure of a high functional class.

Among the patients we examined after heart transplantation, we noted that the level of physical activity is restored in almost 90% of patients after heart transplantation. This study was performed using the Karnofsky scale. And it is characteristic that by the year and by the third year after heart transplantation, this functional status in patients remains intact. It is fundamentally important that more than 80% of patients are able to carry out normal activities and do not require personal care by the end of the first year after heart transplantation. This is a good, effective result.

How does the quality of life of patients change after heart transplantation? As we see, before heart transplantation, physical functioning, social, psycho-emotional aspects of the quality of life of patients suffer greatly. And according to the sf-36 questionnaire, they are indeed at the lower threshold values. After heart transplantation, by one year, the level of their physical functioning and psycho-emotional status is restored to values ​​close to those of healthy patients. This indicates very high efficiency. Fundamentally important here is the restoration of the physical quality of life, almost up to 90% of patients, this is the opportunity to work and work, which about 40% of patients have after performing such surgical interventions.

So, I would like to say that heart transplantation is a justified strategy for treating patients in the aspect that with its help it is possible to achieve high physical and social rehabilitation of patients after surgery. But the point is that the survival of patients after heart transplantation is limited by a number of possible complications. Such complications can occur both in the early postoperative period and in a fairly late one.

Early postoperative complications after heart transplantation usually concern primary graft dysfunction, which can develop in the first postoperative hours and days after surgery. Here, its correction is usually possible with the help of mechanical circulatory support systems or increased inotropic support. Infectious complications of both bacterial and viral nature are possible against the background of immunosuppression, and, of course, acute rejection.

In the long term, we most often encounter disease of the coronary arteries of the transplanted heart. And this is a special pathology in patients with heart transplantation, which seriously limits the survival of patients after these surgical interventions. In addition, in the long term, rejection and infectious complications may also develop. These are usually viral infections, herpes groups and cytomegalovirus infections and cancer formations.

Let's touch on the most frequently occurring ones. In recent years, due to changes in immunosuppression protocols in patients after heart transplantation, the number of episodes of acute rejection of both cellular and antibody-mediated types has become significantly less. And now it's about 25%. Previously, up to 50% of patients suffered episodes of cellular and antibody-mediated rejection of varying severity. The other, most important rejection we face, and probably one of the most interesting, is coronary artery disease of a transplanted heart. This is a pathology that has some similarities with coronary heart disease and some common risk factors with ischemic heart disease. However, the main pathogenesis of the development of this disease is associated with immune pathology, with the use of immunosuppressants and the development of immune-mediated damage to the coronary arteries. There are several types of coronary lesions. One of the easiest types of coronary artery disease to treat is type A, where there are discrete, proximal stenoses of the coronary arteries, similar to those found in coronary artery disease. On the slide we see a 21-year-old patient after a heart transplant. In the second year after heart transplantation, coronary angiography was performed and stenosis was detected in the proximal segment of the anterior interventricular branch. Further, with the help of stenting, it was possible to restore effective blood flow along the anterior interventricular branch and achieve a good result in restoring cardiac function.

But, unfortunately, this is not always the case. In type C lesions, when there is a distal, occlusive lesion of the coronary bed, the possibilities of angioplasty, unfortunately, remain exhausted. Here, in particular, is a patient who underwent coronary angiography after surgery in the first year. We see a good coronary bed. And to your right you see a coronary angiogram three years after heart transplantation, where there is a distal, occlusive lesion of the coronary arteries, which, in general, indicates the futility of treatment with angioplasty. And the only possible treatment option here is the continuation of drug correction in the patient, the use of plasmapheresis, and modification of immunosuppression. And if heart failure worsens, then repeat heart transplantation.

In this regard, various protocols and approaches are being developed in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease of a transplanted heart. And the main role, of course, is to prevent the development of such complications. One possible aspect of further study of risk factors for both acute rejection and coronary artery disease of the transplanted heart is to study the risk factors for coronary artery disease of the transplanted heart. One of these risk factors is biomarkers for the development of graft vasculopathy. These are the biomarkers you know PAPP-A, sCD40L, PLGF, which are also markers of the unstable course of atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease. Their initially high level, exceeding the threshold values ​​detected before heart transplantation, is a prognostic marker in the development of acute rejection and graft vasculopathy. Such biomarkers are used in the practice of studying risk factors before heart transplantation.

Therapy for patients after heart transplantation combines several components. This is primarily an immunosuppressive component, which includes basic immunosuppression as well as induction immunosuppression. Induction is designed for the administration of drugs in the early postoperative period and is intended to stop early acute rejection in patients with heart transplants. Next, the patient switches to basic immunosuppression, which includes several components. In our practice, these are tacrolimus, methylprednisolone and mycophenolic acid preparations.

Induction immunosuppression typically includes basiliximab and methylprednisolone. This is a therapy that is intended to treat patients with immunosuppression. In terms of cardiac therapy, this is the use of drugs that are aimed at preventing cardiac complications - these are primarily drugs from the group of ACE inhibitors, calcium antagonists and statins.

Among the latter, I would like to note an interesting aspect in terms of not only their lipid-lowering effect, but also their fundamentally important effect, which is currently being actively studied - this is the effect on reducing the level of markers that we discussed earlier: PAPP-A, sCD40L, PLGF. We have shown that the use of one of the statins, Rosuvastatin, in this group of patients immediately after heart transplantation allows us to achieve a significant reduction in the levels of sCD40L and PAPP-A, initially high before heart transplantation, to values ​​corresponding to normal values. This allows us to expect a reduction in risk factors for the development of post-transplant complications in the early and long-term periods in patients. But this still requires additional research.

In addition, among other non-lipid effects that we noted is the effect on the level of C-reactive protein. A significant decrease in levels was achieved immediately after heart transplantation, during the first three months. In addition, good effectiveness of such therapy has been shown in patients after heart transplantation. Cystatin C levels did not change after heart transplantation in these patients when statins were used in combination with immunosuppressive drugs.

Thus, I would like to note that therapy for heart transplant patients should include several combinations of drugs. Of course, of course, immunosuppressive therapy is the main one, and the main ones will be the protocols used in immunosuppression and their modifications to increase the quality and life expectancy of patients. But nevertheless, the use of drugs that are intended to prevent cardiac complications remains essential. Here, the first place should be, of course, statins, which have not only a non-lipid effect, not only a hypolipidemic effect, but also non-lipid effects similar to those that have been described.

Thank you for your attention.

Is this legal?

According to Russian law, a person cannot be bought or sold. The rule also affects internal organs and is regulated by Law No. 120 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. However, organs are one of the most popular commodities in the world.

People suffer from diseases and need replacement of individual organs. The waiting list for organ transplants reaches decades, and therefore people are willing to pay a lot of money to receive organs from private individuals. A black market is emerging where organs are also sold. Nevertheless, in most countries of the world the practice of buying and selling organs is legal and actively functioning. Only in order to sell your organs will you need the approval of close relatives or will another condition be imposed, depending on the country.

The most expensive organs are the bone marrow, liver, lungs, heart and cornea of ​​the eye.

How much does an organ transplant cost?

The price of the heart includes the services of people who will remove it and deliver it to the transplant site. That is why, with a formal agreement, the cost of an organ can reach up to 13 million rubles.

It also includes the use of high-quality materials during surgery and the use of high-quality medical equipment at all stages.

The operation can be performed in one of the following ways:

• heterotopic – the patient’s own heart is not removed, the donor organ is placed above it on the right;
• orthotopic – the patient’s heart muscle is removed and replaced with a new one.

Most often, doctors perform orthotopic surgery; it is considered classic.
Its cost can increase to 60 million rubles if the patient requires not only a human heart, but also lungs. In this case, relatives will have to pay up to 50 million rubles just for transporting organs and paying compensation. A normal operation, when they work on only one organ, costs from 13 to 20 million. The final price of the intervention depends on the urgency and how complex the procedure will be. There are several factors that can increase it to 100 million rubles:

• age of the donor and the patient;
• both have serious diseases that cause complications during transplantation;
• urgency.

The most expensive will be an immediate transplant; this is required if the donor has already died, and the patient cannot wait for a transplant for a few more days, for example, with artificial support of his life.

Conclusion

In the article we answered the question “How much does a person cost” and “How much do organs cost?” Theoretically, we have confirmed that in the modern world it is possible to sell a person. Such a sale does not correspond to the sale of goods, since the transfer of organs and body parts requires the consent of the donor and appropriate legislative permission to conduct such “trade”. In general, even in Russia there is an opportunity to make money by transferring individual parts of the body, which allows a person to make good money.

Types of transplantation

Today, two main methods of performing the operation are known. They are heterotopic transplantation , in which the patient's own heart is not removed, but the donor is placed under it on the right side, and orthotopic transplantation , as a result of which the donor heart is replaced with the recipient's heart. This method is recognized as the most common.