INKEDblog takes you beneath the skin of today's tattoo culture. Our mission is to celebrate tattooing as a modern art form which incorporates art, fashion, style, and pop culture. While paying homage and respect to the past, we look to present a contemporary take on the present and future of skin art. getinked@inkedblog.com

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Thursday  Aug 31, 2006

Dear INKEDblog: Are Tattoos Okay for Donor Recipients?

Dear INKEDblog,

I have liver failure from cirrhosis and am in the process of getting on the transplant list.

I've been told that tattoos are absolutely verboten for both people in my position and for donor recipients.

I'm curious though because other than hepatitis risk, I have seen and read nothing about tattooing that would interfere with liver function. Moreover, from what I have heard, hepatitis risk is basically alleviated by good artist hygiene, and professional tattooing practices.

Should I bag it and say, "you've had a enough bad luck already", or are tattoos just getting an undeserved bad rep?

–Wilber

Dear Wilber,

This question briefly stumped us at INKEDblog. We called Dr. Adeline Kell, from ‘A Better Choice’, to get a medical opinion.

Dr. Kell told us that there are several factors at work here. First of all, when you are on the list to receive a donor organ you must be ready to receive the organ at anytime. When you get a donor organ, you immediately begin to take immune suppressing medication.

While on immune suppressing medication, any abrasion, cut or puncture has a higher capacity for infection. Because of this, even at the cleanest tattoo studio, you might run the risk of a later infection simply from the exposure of your healing tattoo to the elements.

Secondly, Dr. Kell told us that the transplant list is meant to be as an objective a process as possible. Because of the limited supply of donor organs, the patients that are most likely to survive are generally the recipients of the organs. The reasons for this are clear, if a patient dies because of a controllable situation; they could literally be risking the death of another person who needed the same organ.

In all likelihood, the risk associated with a tattoo is quite small. However, the possibility of the associated risks makes a tattoo an unwise choice for a person in your position.

Thanks for the question; we wish you the best.

– INKEDblog

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