What is Organ Donation?
Organ donation is donating one’s organ, tissue, or blood to another person. This can happen via direct assistance by a donor after their death or through the donation of an organ or tissue from a living individual (an “organ donor”) to a person waiting for a transplant.
Organ donation is also used to save critically ill patients awaiting same-organ transplants and provide body parts for medical science education and research purposes.
How does organ donation work?
Transplantation is the removal and transplantation of tissue, organs, and sometimes whole body systems from one living person to another. These procedures are usually performed to treat end-stage organ failure, injury, or disease in a recipient patient. The surgery generally requires specialized training and equipment, which is why the donation of an organ by a living donor can be a lifesaver for many people.
The work of organ donation is to provide the organs for transplantation so that people in need do not have to wait more than a few hours for the operation.
To be eligible to receive an organ donation, an individual must be diagnosed with end-stage organ failure or severe injury and in an irreversible coma. This means that their heart, lungs, liver, or other vital organs cannot be repaired, and they are not expected to survive without a transplant. For a deceased organ donor, brain death is required before organ donation can take place; it has been established by law in all states as a certainty of death if no brain activity is recorded after twelve hours.
Organ donation what can be donated
An organ donor can donate almost anything from their body, including the skin, bones, and heart. However, certain organs, including one kidney, or a portion of the liver or pancreas, can also be donated by a living donor.
In addition to the tissue and organs that a living donor can donate, other tissues and organs can be obtained from living donors through surgery or blood donation.
Why organ donation is important
Organ donation can save up to 8 lives. With your help, every person waiting for a transplant and their loved ones will have the opportunity to live a better life. There are over 100,00 people in the US currently waiting for an organ transplant, and it is estimated that 20 will die every day due to a lack of donor organs.
How organ donation helps
Organ donations are often made by people who die in accidents, such as automobile accidents. However, the organ can only be donated if it is still functioning, so some organs may not be viable if they are damaged during the accident. For this reason, organs remain in short supply. By agreeing to donate your organs, you could save up to 8 people waiting for a transplant and help up to another 75 through tissue donation.
What is living organ donation?
The term “living donation” refers to donating an organ or tissue while still alive. Living donor transplantation replaces a damaged or diseased organ in the recipient from a donor who’s had their healthy organs removed.
What happens to what remains after organ donation
All the organs and tissue can be used to save someone else’s life. The bodies can then be donated to medical science. Learn more about body donation in this post. In many countries, they can be made available to contribute to research that benefits people who need transplants. Otherwise, the body is returned to the family. Funeral directors have training to prepare the body for an open casket funeral if the family chooses.
How to register for organ donation
You can sign up to be an organ donor at any time. In the US, you can sign up online through your state registry or in person at your local DMV. Families can also agree to donation after a loved one has died if they have not already signed up to be an organ donor. If you’ve signed up for the national organ donor registry or stated your wish to donate in your advanced directives, your family will not be able to prevent your organs from being donated.
How many lives can you save with organ donation?
One deceased donor can save up to 8 lives. By also donating tissue, an additional 75 people could be affected by the donation. In the UK, about 7,000 people are waiting for a life-saving transplant. Nearly half of these patients will die without a suitable donor organ because not enough donors are available to provide the required organs for those in need.
Who pays for organ donation after death?
Organ Donation is a gift. There is no cost to the donor family; all costs related to the the donation and transplant are paid for by the recipient–usually through insurance or financial donations. Financial donations may come from community members and fundraising activities held by the organ donation organization, such as cake sales, auctions, or obstacle courses.
What would cause someone to become an organ donor?
Organ donation is used to save critically ill patients awaiting same-organ transplants and provide body parts for medical science education and research purposes. People agree to donate in hopes of saving lives.
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