AST Calls for Improved Standards in Composite Tissue Transplants
Posted on: Thursday, 18 September 2008, 12:00 CDT
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Composite Tissue Transplantation (CTT) represents a new frontier in the field of transplantation. Since 1998, surgeons worldwide have performed about 50 composite tissue transplantations, including faces, hands, larynx and abdominal walls. The American Society of Transplantation (AST) recently released a Position Paper, which acknowledges the potential benefit of CTT in traumatic tissue loss resulting from limb loss from explosive devices, accidents with farm machinery, burns or other major injuries, but cautions that CTT must be brought up to the clinical standards existing in organ transplantation.
What is CTT?
Composite tissue transplantation refers to the transfer of multiple peripheral tissues such as muscle, bone, and skin as a functional unit, such as a hand, from a deceased donor to a patient requiring such tissue. All recipients of CTT must take immunosuppressive medications to help prevent rejection of the tissue. These drugs have potential side effects, including reducing the patient's ability to fight infection and disease. In addition to infections, long-term immunosuppression can cause organs, including kidney and liver, to fail or diabetes.
AST's Position
As with all new fields, CTT has yet to develop accepted standards of success. This limits the ability to interpret and compare outcomes from disparate groups, especially because such a small number of patients are being treated worldwide. The AST supports investment in objective histopathological evaluation of CTT grafts, the coding of outcomes and the comparative assessment of results to existing technology.
To review the AST's position in its entirety, go to http://www.a-s-t.org/. About AST
The AST is an organization of transplant professionals dedicated to research, education, advocacy and patient care in transplantation science and medicine. The society comprises more than 2,800 transplant physicians, surgeons, scientists and allied health professionals. For more information about AST visit http://www.a-s-t.org/.
Editor's Note: To speak with an AST media expert on this topic, contact Beth Drost at 215.884.6499 or beth@comsolutionsgroup.com.
AST
CONTACT: Beth Drost for AST, +1-215-884-6499,beth@comsolutionsgroup.com
Source: PRNewswire
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