Japanese Heart Transplant Patient Dies

TOKYO – A Japanese man who received a new heart four years ago died Monday, the first to die after undergoing a heart transplant in Japan since the operations were legalized in the 1990s.

The man, who was in his 50s, died of blood poisoning at the National Cardiovascular Center in the western prefecture of Osaka, center spokesman Kazuo Okubo said. He declined to release further details, but said it was the first time a heart transplant recipient died in Japan since a 1997 law cleared the way for such surgeries in the country.

Until 1997, a patient could be declared dead only after the heart stopped, meaning only organs such as kidneys and corneas were viable for transplant. The change in the Japanese law allowed organ donations from those diagnosed as brain dead.

Twenty-five heart transplants have been conducted in Japan since 1997, according to the Health Ministry. Despite the 1997 law, Japan still restricts organ donations, prompting many families to seek operations elsewhere.

Unlike the United States and other countries, Japan does not permit families to authorize donations on behalf of a person who has not previously expressed such a wish in writing. Japan also bans organ donations from those 15 and under.