For a specialty that is practiced by only a handful of surgeons in our country, none has been more shrouded by controversy than that of organ transplantation.
Started in the Philippines in the early 70’s, it has met with limited success and was virtually relegated to the history books until the development more potent immunosuppression in the 80’s. Since then, he fame (and fortune?) of organ transplantation has become phenomenal both locally and worldwide.
These days, much of the controversy in transplantation no longer dwells on the success or failure of each procedure, nor whether each patient’s post-operative course is benign or stormy. More talk is given to the
lifestyles of those who practice it. In some proclaimed “academic and moral”
circles, much more attention is paid to the ethics behind its practice.
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Besieged by such issues, the Philippine Society of Transplant Surgeons (PSTS)
was created. Born in 2001, the society is a conglomeration of a handful of
surgeons hailing from fairly similar but equally distinct backgrounds, all
recognizing the need for an organization that will unify the practice of organ
transplantation in the country.
The Birth of PSTS
