STEP 06
AGE: 38 YEARS OLD
Transplant Surgeon
The Role: Transplant Surgeon
Transplant surgeons replace a failing organ with a healthy one from a donor.
Why does compatibility matter? The immune system can recognise a transplanted organ as foreign and attack it, causing rejection. Matching the donor and recipient carefully helps reduce this risk.
Information:
There are two things the surgical team checks:
you can recieve
[01. Blood type]
Like a blood transfusion, an organ transplant requires a compatible blood type between donor and recipient.
If the blood types are incompatible, the transplant cannot proceed.
if you are:
[02. Tissue markers - HLA Markers]
HLA markers help the immune system recognise the body’s own cells. The closer the donor’s markers match the recipient’s, the lower the risk of rejection.
Each donor and recipient has six HLA markers. A good match generally has a compatible blood type and 3–4 matching markers.
Putting it together — the compatibility key
Compatible blood type + 3–4 matching markers → good match, safe to proceed
Compatible blood type + 1–2 matching markers → risky, higher chance of rejection
Incompatible blood type → cannot proceed, regardless of markers
Group Task: Transplant Surgeon
First, let’s look at a patient together. We need to compare this patient card with the donor information to find the best match.
First let's look together
Your Task 01: Transplant Surgeon
Open your folder and locate 06 Transplant Surgeon
Now it’s your turn.
Open Envelope Six and compare your patient with the donor compatibility cards below. Match your patient’s blood type and tissue markers against each donor to work out the best match.
Your Task 02: Transplant Surgeon
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