» Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:01 pm
aww, was hoping this was a question about homework relating to physics, chemistry, or biology. But, yes, immunosuppressants are used, so that your body doesn't completely kill off the transplanted organ asap and leave your in horrific health, again. For this reason, hospitals will try to match someone with organs as close as possibly to a similar enough genetic match, and in the case of blood, match criteria that's more than simple blood types and RH factors (barring utter emergencies). In plenty of cases, a total stranger could be a closer match than your own family.
Though, there is a problem with immunosuppressants, in that they do lower your ability to fight infections, for the obvious reason that your immune system is being purposely stunted, so that your body doesn't outright reject transplanted organs. Because of this, there is hope in the future that organ can be cloned, so that rejection will be very small/non-existent.