Ethical Considerations: Heart Transplant Case Study Analysis

This case study presents an ethical dilemma faced by a surgeon in a hospital setting, tasked with choosing which patient should receive a heart transplant. The surgeon, faced with three patients, must make a critical decision based on ethical considerations. The case involves a 12-year-old girl, Lisa, whose father is a doctor; a 55-year-old man, Jerry, with a family; and a 38-year-old homeless man, Ozzy, with a history of drug abuse. The surgeon employs ethical frameworks like Utilitarianism and Deontology to evaluate each patient's circumstances. Utilitarianism is used to assess the overall benefit to society, considering the patient's potential lifespan and contributions, while Deontology is applied to determine the surgeon's obligations to the patient, family, and the hospital. The decision is made to perform the surgery on Lisa, considering her young age, potential for a longer and healthier life, and the benefits her father, a doctor, brings to the hospital. The case highlights the complexities of medical ethics, the weighing of various factors in patient care, and the impact of such decisions on the lives of patients and their families. The case study also acknowledges the limitations of the surgery and hopes for future advancements in medical science that can further improve Lisa's health.

Running head: MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
Decision: Heart transplant surgery to Lisa
Enclosed: Overall report and details of Lisa’s health condition
Being the lead surgeon in the hospital, it is my responsibility to make efficient ethical
decisions so that my patients’ health problems can be solved promptly. For this, I was faced
with the ethical dilemma of having to choose among three patients urgently requiring a heart
transplant, and only one donor. In this situation, I took the painful decision of choosing to
perform a heart transplant surgery to my patient Lisa. She is a twelve-year-old young girl,
daughter of the renowned oncologist Johnathan Doe.
Ethical philosophy of Utilitarianism suggests that decisions must be taken in
accordance to the greater good. In this aspect, measuring the chances of the other patients, I
deduced that Lisa’s case would be the best possible solution. Jerry is a 55 year old man with a
family. It can be expected that his children will grow up to be able to sustain themselves and
their mother in case of an inability to find a heart donor for him. Though they will be faced
with a financial crisis, Jerry’s chances of survival after the surgery is quite low. Ozzy, a 38
year old man, is homeless, with no family to take care of. Moreover, he is a drug abuser,
meaning that apart from his heart condition, his health is feeble and the success of a heart
transplant surgery is improbable.
Dr. Doe, Lisa’s father, is an oncologist and benefits the society through his services.
Moreover, he has donated a large amount of money for the improvement of specialized
facilities for the hospital. This will benefit the hospital, as we will be able to provide
improved services to our patients using such advanced medical technology. Moreover, being
a doctor himself, Dr. Johnathan can also provide his services in our hospital and help a

2MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
number of patients in need. Saving Lisa from the fate of a premature death will bring
happiness to her life as well as her family. Though her medical reports suggested that she has
very little chances of survival after the age of twenty in spite of the heart transplant, I chose
to perform the surgery on her because we can hope developments in the field of medical
science in future that will be able to help Lisa lead a healthy life after twenty.
The ethical theory of deontology suggests that the best possible outcome must be
selected keeping in mind the rules, duties and obligations that govern the activities of an
individual. In this aspect, I believe I made the right choice of saving Lisa over the other
patients because it was my obligation and duty to consider the benefit of my patient, her
family as well as the hospital I work in.
Though many of the other doctors in the hospital might not agree with my decision, I
chose to perform the surgery on the young girl Lisa was because of her tender age and her
possibility to live a joyous and prosperous life after the transplant. The twelve year old girl
required the transplant more than the others because she had been suffering a terrible medical
condition at such a young age, and in the case of unavailability of a heart donor to her would
lead her to suffer lifelong health issues. In my opinion, I have made the correct choice as this
surgery would not only save the life of a little girl but also benefit her family. Moreover, the
child may also grow up to serve the society, thereby benefiting the community at large.