Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Ganesha Chathurti.... celebrate the God of Transplantation


According to Hindu mythology, the elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvati is the first recipient of a transplant although it was a xenotransplant ( from non identical species).

According to the story, Ganesha was asked by his mother Parvati not to allow anyone to enter the house while she bathed. When Shiva, Parvati's husband and father of Ganesha, sought to enter the house he was prevented from doing so by Ganesha siting his mother's orders. The enraged Shiva sent several of his minions to force Ganesha to allow him entry but all these were sent packing by the obedient Ganesha. Blinded by rage, Shiva attacked Ganesha and beheaded him for his impertinence. Seeing this Parvati was livid and threatened to curse the Gods for causing the death of her son. In order to placate Parvati, the celestial physician asked the Gods to fetch the head of the first animal they came across which turned out to be an elephant. The elephant head was transplanted onto Ganesha's body and he was given an elixir to drink which may have been a potent immunosuppressant to prevent rejection of the xenograft.

The iconic depiction of Ganesha is the head of an elephant on a pot bellied body which some have likened to the fat deposition resultant from steroid induced immunosuppression.

Ganesha's vehicle the mouse 'Mooshak' has been compared by some to the importance of mouse models in transplant related research.

Although all these could well be considered myths or a figment of a fertile imagination by agnostics and disbelievers, hindu literature is replete with such miracles that today are considered achievable by modern medicine.

In a lighter vein, one of my fellow transplant surgeons commented that Ganesha did not receive the head of an elephant but an elephant received the body of a human being! This made Ganesha the first human organ donor and not transplant recipient!!


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