In the past, the collapse of a system or organ in the human body signified death. Current medical and technological developments enable us to replace these systems with alternative systems. A malfunctioning liver, kidney or even a human heart is not a certain death sentence.

Transplants can be divided into three main types: transplants of organs or tissue that renew themselves in the donor after the donation, for example blood and bone marrow transplants; organ donations from live donors but without the ability to preserve or reconstruct the organ, for example donation of a kidney or liver lobe; organ transplants from a deceased donor, for example a heart or liver transplant. In the case of the third type of transplant, one family’s tragedy is life-saving for another family, because organ donation from a deceased is usually performed following an unexpected death such as a car accident.