An Anatomy of the Japanese Policy Advancing Organ Transplantation at the Cost of 'Brain-dead' Patients(Academic Society and Research Trend Feature)

DOI Web Site

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • いわゆる「脳死・臓器移植法」関連政策と制度の動向をめぐって(<学会・研究動向特集>制度・政策の現在において問う)
  • いわゆる「脳死・臓器移植法」関連政策と制度の動向をめぐって
  • イワユル ノウシ ゾウキ イショクホウ カンレン セイサク ト セイド ノ ドウコウ オ メグッテ

Search this article

Description

This paper shows briefly the bio-political process of the rise of the Japanese organ transplantation system. Under the organ transplantation law enforced in 1997 and its revised version enforced in 2010, not only some patients who have willingly decided to be a donor, but also those who do not have done yet any decision making to be a donor or not at the critical moment can be legally good donors in order to increase in number of harvesting live organs from 'brain-dead' patients only by proxy of his/her family. Now we should carefully discuss the following issues in the world of medical sociology in Japan: 1) how the law might violate the patient's right of self-determination as the Japan Federation of Bar Associations pointed out; 2) how the organ transplantation system might intervene in progress of surgical neurology with the law emphasizing that doctors need not use 'therapeutic hypothermia' that sounds the symbolic treatment of patients with threatened 'brain-dead' or cardiac arrest state; 3) how the concept of 'brain death', therefore, might be well re-conceptualized; 4) how the alternative treatments (like 'artificial organ', 'regenerative medicine', 'Batista operation' etc.)to organ transplant might be re-estimated; and 5) how the organ transplantation might realize an eternal utopia or a close game like lottery for the recipients.

Journal

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top