[Brain death from the viewpoint of transplantation surgery].

Abstract

If in the case of brain death breathing and circulation are continued artificially we deceive ourselves emotionally not to except death of the so treated organism. But on scientific medical grounds brain death defines the end of the organism as a whole beyond doubt. No rational reasons can be seen, why organs should not be taken from the brain dead provided that diagnosis of brain death and the organ retrieval are done by independent teams of doctors and an opposing will of the dead person is not known. Honour should be payed to the remains of the dead organ donor. Donation of living donors should be seen more critically because of the ethical problems involved for the managing doctors.