I suspect a lot would depend on which two major organs - like with kidneys people can survive a while on dialysis. Brain, liver, lungs, heart are rather problematic though...

Honestly, I suspect there isn't enough detail given in the show to be sure, so a fic author could adjust it to whatever works best for a story (or am I assuming too much? :) )

And I could totally imagine, depending on what's going on, being able to keep him somewhat stable, slowly-fading for about a month or two with careful medical treatment. I mean, with lots of handwaving for him being magically created in the first place.

I'm pretty sure liver/heart/lungs/brain are main ones that without them you are gone BAM. Others maybe less instantaneously hopeless, though certainly severely problematic and I doubt the treatment is much fun for the little time left.

I'm not a medical person, but major organ failure? I think that would be pretty rapid - especially if one of those organs is your heart! Poor thing.

So, there's fic coming out of this poll, yes? ;)

I chose B because I have a feeling that's that's the one you want to win. :)

I would say month to few months depending on what's dead.

Dammit, why don't Stargate give detailed medical notes?

... because whenever they do, they get it wrong?

*still hasn't recovered from the psychiatry in "Legacy"*

Having some medical background, I have to say it's incredibly variable. And as others have pointed out it, depends on which organs. What is curious to me is the "about to fail" part. I didn't remember that. But once they've failed that's obviously worse than "about to." People can live many years, for example, with stage 2 or stage 3 chronic kidney disease due to medications before kidney failure occurs (Stage 5). So, it can very much depend. I believe that lungs failing and depending on the way in which the heart is failing- those two are the most difficult to manage and might speed the process compared to say, kidney, liver, and others.

Um...I assumed the Tok'Ra would work on him with the healing device, and failing that, he'd get a symbiote to heal him.

Ah...I see said the blind man.

And when will you be writing said fic? ;p

My step-dad died about 36 hours after his kidneys shut down. Dialysis would have only prolonged his dying time by about 7-10 days. I was there when the specialist made his diagnosis.

He was also on a respirator to assist his breathing at the same time. It wasn't making him breathe, but rather helping him so he would have such a hard time getting air.

Hope this helps.

Your question was not insensitve of made light of what happened.

My step-dad was a great guy and I remember him with great affection. While he was not my dad, he was good to my mom and did things for me my own dad would have done if he'd still been alive. It's been nearly 11 years since he died but we let him go with diginity.