Transplantation through the ages

Historical development of transplantation was going slowly in all parts of the world, following technological progress in general. At the crossing of the 18th and 19th century the first big steps in the field of transplantation were made, when Franz Reisinger was the first who transplanted cornea from an animal to an animal. Successful skin transplantations were made at the beginning of the 20th century; at the same time, surgical techniques of vascular anastomoses were developed, enabling technically successful transplantations of whole organs. At the end of the Second World War the first successful cadaveric kidney transplantation was made, and the first transplantation of this organ from a living donor was performed in 1956. A liver was transplanted for the first time in 1963, and a heart in 1967. Since then, transplantation has become a part of routine health care in developed countries, thanks to technological progress and efforts in promoting organ and tissue donation. Development of transplantation medicine in Serbia was a couple of decades late and annual transplantation rate still does not meet the needs of the population. It is expected that the development of this area of medicine in Serbia will be intense in the future.