The operation is already a serious test for a person, but for some people it can end with completely unexpected consequences. Here are some stories of people who have faced such changes.
Liver transplant changed patient's blood type
15-year-old Demi-Lee Brennan (Demi-Lee Brennan) received not only a new life after a liver transplant, but also a new blood group. Thanks to the new liver, her blood group changed from group I negative Rh factor to group I positive rhesus factor.
This turned out to be a rather fortunate change, as the girl no longer had to take anti-rejection medications like most organ recipients. Taking drugs that suppress the immune system slowed down the girl's recovery process, preventing the entire system from adapting and changing.
The doctors cannot explain what happened.
“At first we didn't believe it. We thought it was too strange to be true,”said Demi's doctor. “Usually the body's immune system rejects any cells that are transplanted, but for some reason the liver donor's cells survived better than the girl's own cells. This opens up great opportunities for the future of organ transplants."
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Patients whose tastes have changed after organ transplant
While the cases of changes in blood group in patients were not previously known, other transformations after transplantation were more common. Many organ recipients have noticed that their personalities, tastes, and interests have changed after surgery. For example, patients found themselves in love with the same things as organ donors.
This phenomenon is known as "body memory" and implies that the body is capable of storing memory in the same way as the brain. For example, after an organ transplant, Bill Wohl discovered that he could be inexplicably moved while listening to the songs of the singer Shade on the radio. He later discovered that his donor was a huge fan of the singer.
Another patient, Jamie Sherman, who hated Mexican food, developed a strong craving for traditional Mexican foods after surgery: enchiladas, burritos and tacos. She later found out that her donor loved Mexican food.
Patient who lost control of her arm after brain surgery
Patient Karen Bryne underwent surgery to treat epilepsy. During the operation, she was dissected the corpus callosum - the structure that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
The operation cured Karen of epilepsy, but caused another problem - Alien Hand Syndrome. Those who suffer from this disorder lose control of one of their hands. After both sides of the woman's brain were disconnected, she became aware of the behavior for which only one side was responsible.
The woman's hand seemed to be living its own life: it could unbutton a blouse at the wrong time, pull things out of a purse and leave them in random places. There were even cases when Karen's hand attacked her, for example, involuntarily hit her in the face.
The woman who became very empathetic after brain surgery
As in the previous case, an unknown woman underwent brain surgery to treat epilepsy, which led to unexpected adverse reactions. The woman noticed that she became prone to emotional arousal, which lasted more than 14 years. She feels these emotions not only in relation to her experience, but also to those who are around her.
Surprisingly, a part of the brain - the amygdala, which was operated on by doctors - is responsible for detecting emotions in others. Removing it usually makes it difficult to recognize other people's emotions. At the same time, the woman showed a reverse reaction - she began to empathize very sharply with the people around her and understand their mental state and emotions.
Doctors who left surgical instruments inside patients
The probability that surgical instruments will be left inside your body after surgery is approximately 12.5 to 0.02 percent, according to various statistics. However, this happens much more often than we think. Considering that an average of 250 instruments are used during an operation, and about 600 during large operations, it is easier to imagine how some of these items end up in the wrong place from time to time.
One such victim was Daryoush Mazarei, who felt that he had not fully recovered from the operation.
Even two years later, he complained of stomach pains. However, the doctors claimed that everything was in order with him, and offered to see a psychiatrist. But the patient insisted on his own, and after examination with the help of computed tomography, a set of 25-centimeter retractors was found in his abdomen.
Another case occurred with a patient from Germany, Dirk Schroeder, who underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer.
Despite the fact that the patient took a long time to recover and felt severe pain, the doctors discovered that something was wrong only after a few weeks. It turned out that 16 items were left inside, including a needle, bandage, bandage, tampons and a surgical mask. Schroeder had to undergo another operation to remove all the items.
Dental surgery that gave the patient a new focus
This incident happened to the American Karen Butler, who underwent dental implantation surgery. When the patient woke up from anesthesia, she spoke with an unusual accent. Her accent was a strange mixture of Irish, Scottish, English, Australian, German, and South African.
The woman cannot control her accent and is surprised at the way she speaks.
After surgery, she was diagnosed with foreign accent syndrome, a rare disorder that affects fewer than 100 people worldwide. She is also the only person who has this disorder other than from a brain injury.
Increased gas production
Childbirth is relatively safe thanks to modern medicine, but the risk still exists.
For opera singer Amy Herbst, the post-operative repercussions cost her her career. During childbirth, the woman underwent an episiotomy (a procedure to dilate the birth canal). Since then, she has complained all the time of severe gas formation and incontinence, especially during performances.
The singer has filed a lawsuit against the hospital for $ 2.5 million.