Remember xiao wang, a 17-year-old high school student who sold kidneys to buy An Apple phone in 2011?
That year, he sold one of his kidneys in Hunan through illegal channels and received 22,000 yuan.
At that time, he even put down the bold words: "One kidney is enough for me, why do I need another?" Why not sell it? ”
(Image source: Internet)
10 years have passed, and the little king who only has one kidney is now?
Before presenting the final facts, let's first look at how the illegal trade in kidneys can change the body.
Buying and selling a kidney on the black market, the person who sells the kidney often goes through 2 links: physical examination and kidney removal.
Kidney removal surgery is the most prone to accidents.
Depending on the surgical method, "kidney removal" can be divided into two types: minimally invasive surgery and traditional open surgery.
The former (minimally invasive surgery, i.e. "laparoscopic surgery") during which the doctor inserts several plastic tubes into the abdomen.
These tubes are the passageways for surgical instruments, and the doctor will cut off the renal artery, renal vein, and ureter according to the instructions of the camera inserted into the abdomen, and then take the kidney out [1]. This surgical method has small wounds and relatively faster wound recovery.
The latter ("traditional open surgery") incises the abdominal wall and operates directly on the kidneys, often with a scar after surgery.
Nepal sells kidney villages
Almost everyone has a scar
During the procedure, doctors clip the renal arteries, renal veins, and ureters, cut off blood flow to the kidneys, and then cut off the three tubes [1]. The surgical window is larger, and the risk of infection and the difficulty of recovery are relatively greater.
When kidneys are bought and sold illegally, it is often a simple and crude "traditional open surgery", and the risk itself is greater.
If the risks of the surgery itself don't feel like there's anything, then what comes next is even more frightening.
On the one hand, doctors with extensive experience in organ transplantation are already scarce; on the other hand, organ trading is illegal and regular doctors are often not involved.
"Doctors" who perform kidney removal surgery for donors on the black market often do not have relevant surgical qualifications. Limited by the medical conditions of black clinics, traditional open surgery with a high risk of infection is often the only option.
This poorly medically-poor, ill-qualified black organ for kidney removal surgery can trigger a range of postoperative complications: bleeding, infection, damage to peripheral organs, and even life-threatening [2].
The kidney is an important organ of the human body, it is like a "filtration factory", the whole body fluid is filtered by the kidney, impurities are concentrated to form urine, and the rest of the liquid is purified and returns to the blood circulation.
Only under the normal operation of the kidneys, the human body can smoothly discharge impurities and not be harmed by toxins produced by metabolism.
Normally, a person has 2 kidneys, each with 1 million to 1.5 million kidney units [3].
Originally, they were a shift system, with kidney units taking turns on their posts, combining work and leisure, and working together to maintain the normal metabolism of the human body.
If a kidney is suddenly removed , it's like a "massive layoff, and normal kidney function is inevitably unaffected.
With a prolonged absence of a kidney, the risk of chronic kidney disease may increase. Hyponephrotic deficits may precipitate cardiovascular disease such as hypertension [1,2].
Once the only one left has a problem again, it will directly lead to the loss of the filtration function of the kidneys, and the human body can easily develop into chronic kidney failure, gout, and even uremia.
And all of this is irreversible.
Back to the beginning of the story of Xiao Wang——
10 years ago, due to the lack of standard surgery on the black market, Xiao Wang had a serious infection during the operation, which triggered a series of complications.
Even the other remaining kidney had problems. Eventually, he was identified as a third-degree disability.
At a height of 1.9 meters, he now has severely impaired kidney function and has basically lost his ability to work.
The beginning of all this tragedy was only because of a mobile phone of several thousand pieces...
Regarding kidney trading, we have a few words to say:
1. China's Regulations on Human Organ Transplantation came into force on May 1, 2007, which stipulates that the willingness of human organ donors is respected and the sale of human organs is strictly prohibited.
It is illegal to buy or sell organs, whether it is bought or sold.
2. Selling kidneys on the black market solely for reasons of interest will cause damage to the body, except for regular surgery.
For kidney removal surgery caused by illness and occurring in regular hospitals, the benefits often outweigh the disadvantages, please do not exclude and panic.
Studies have found that 30 months after the diagnosis of kidney cancer patients, those who underwent kidney cancer resection had a survival rate of 50%, compared with only 20% without surgery [5].
3. As a continuation of life, organ donation deserves more attention.
Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease, having now given more than 1 million uremia a second life.
In China, the main source of kidney transplantation is donation after the death of citizens, and the number of kidney transplant cases from this source will account for 86% in 2020[6], and the donor kidney transplantation of relatives is also an important treatment for uremia patients, becoming one of the main ways for families to save themselves [7].
According to China's "Regulations on Human Organ Transplantation" and "Several Provisions on Regulating Living Organ Transplantation", in China, kidney donation should meet these conditions:
Medical institutions that carry out living kidney transplantation are limited to institutions designated by the National Health Commission;
Living organ donors must be voluntary, unpaid, at least 18 years of age and have full capacity for civil conduct;
Living organ donors and recipients are limited to the following relationships:
(1) Spouse (limited to marriage for more than 3 years or children after marriage);
(2) Direct blood relatives or collateral blood relatives within three generations;
(3) The formation of a family relationship due to support, etc. (limited to the relationship between adoptive parents and adoptive children, the relationship between step-parents and stepchildren).
After the review of the clinical application and ethics committee of human organ transplantation technology, informed consent, etc., and there will be a medical institution to conduct detailed medical examination and evaluation to ensure the safety of the donor to the greatest extent.
If you want to learn about organ donation, the following websites may be able to help:
Chinese Organ Donation Management Center
Organ Donation Volunteer Service Network
The address is: https://www.savelife.org.cn/
May your and my life be stable in this world
May every kidney be safe and healthy
Review expert: Li Qing
Chief Physician of the Department of Nephrology, Tianjin TEDA Hospital
bibliography
[1] https://patients.uroweb.org/cn/ kidney cancer/locally advanced renal cancer/radical nephrectomy
[2]https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/nephrectomy/about/pac-20385165
[3] Chmielewski C. (2003). Renal anatomy and overview of nephron function. Nephrology nursing journal : journal of the American Nephrology Nurses' Association, 30(2), 185–192.
[4] Straits Metropolis Daily.10 years ago The Anhui teenager who sold kidneys to buy mobile phones spoke up.2021.03.https://ah.ifeng.com/c/84FfSlOtwRN
[5] Singla N, Hutchinson RC, Ghandour RA, et al. Improved survival after cytoreductive nephrectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the contemporary immunotherapy era: An analysis of the National Cancer Database. Urol Oncol. 2020;38(6):604.e9-604.e17. doi:10.1016/j.urolonc.2020.02.029w
Chen Dajin, Huang Hongfeng, Chen Jianghua. Research progress in the field of kidney transplantation in 2020[J] . China Medical Information Herald, 2021, 36(2): 6-6. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1000-8039.2021.02.103.
[7] Organ Transplantation Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Organ Transplantation Physician Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association. Clinical Guidelines for Donor Kidney Transplantation in China ( 2016 Edition)
Author: Lao Teng, Zhang Xiaoyi
Editors: Zhang Xiaoyi, Zhang Jie, Zhang Liang
Proofreading: Wu Yihe | Typesetting: Li Yongmin
Operation: Han Ningning | Coordinator: Wu Wei