Long Island doctor sues for his kidney back
Kidney transplants are a serious topic but this story is rather sad. A Long Island phsycian, , Dr Richard Batista is suing for his kidney or monetary equivalent back, in his divorce from his wife. His attorney, notably featured on the Howard Stern radio show in the past, claims it is work $1.5 million. Living related donor kidney transplants have become more popular in the last ten years as anti-rejection drugs have improved. Once poorly matched donors are no considered acceptable and preferable to “cadaveric” donors, i.e. a patient who is brain dead but still on a breathing machine.
People have suggested selling organs in a free market system would be a good idea. Medical ethicists reject this and say that such a system would be too easy to exploit. People who are desparate for cash would sell a kidney without weighing the risks fairly.
On the other hand, most patient who donate a kidney lead very healthy lives without much increased risk of feared kidney failure, high blood pressure or other kidney related illnesses. Some patients are born with one kidney and sometimes due to newborn obstruction on kidney is small or non-functional. A simple blood test can estimate your kidney function.
