A study published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery presented one solution to the dilemma many transplant surgeons are facing: to decide whether to give a lifesaving organ to a person who has lived a full life or to a younger patient with more life to live. The study suggested giving older patients imperfect organs that will still allow these patients to have acceptable survival rates.
 
Because of the limited organ supply, many physicians use age as a way to determine who gets the organ.

This article originally appeared in the March 2008 issue of Kidney Transplant Today.