Organs and tissue donation is one of the most giving and altruistic acts a person can do, literally giving life to a person who desperately needs help. Since the 1960s, organ donations from both living and deceased donors have saved millions of lives. Technology has come a long way, allowing rejection rates to plummet, and greatly increasing the success rates of patients in need. If you have been considering organ and tissue donation upon your death, there are so many ways you can give.
Organs that can be donated after death.
There are several organs that can be donated after death to save the lives of others. These include:
- Heart: The heart can be donated for transplantation to save the life of someone with heart disease.
- Lungs: The lungs can be donated to help people with lung disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis.
- Liver: The liver can be divided and transplanted to two different recipients, or donated as a whole to save the life of someone with liver disease.
- Kidneys: The kidneys can be donated to save the lives of people with kidney disease, including those who need dialysis.
- Pancreas: The pancreas can be donated to help people with type 1 diabetes, or to save the life of someone with pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer.
- Intestines: The small intestine can be donated to save the life of someone with intestinal failure.
- Tissue: Tissue donations can include skin, bone, and corneas. These donations can help people who have been burned, need bone grafts, or have corneal damage.
Donation Process
Deciding to donate your organs is an enormous gift. The number of available organs from deceased donors is limited, and many people on the organ waiting list die before they can receive one. At Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, we can help you understand how to donate your organs after death. After your death, you could help save up to 8 lives by donating multiple organs. If you are in an accident and are declared legally dead, a member of the organ procurement organization (OPO) must obtain consent from your family to donate your organs. After your organ donation, the OPO transports them to the transplant centers of the intended recipients. Once the donated organs are removed, your body is prepared according to your family’s wishes. The donor can still have an open-casket funeral if desired.
Time in which organs need to be donated after death.
The medical condition of the person at the time of death can determine what organs and tissues can be donated and what cannot be. Organs need to be removed as soon as the person is declared brain-dead. Without the necessary oxygen supply, the organs stop functioning right.
The approximate amount of time between recovering the tissues/organs and transplanting them is:
- Lung – 4 to 6 hours
- Heart – 4 hours
- Liver – 24 hours
- Pancreas – 24 hours
- Kidney – 72 hours
- Cornea – 14 days
- Bones – 5 years
- Skin – 5 year
- Heart Valves – 10 years
This is why creating a tissue bank (heart valves, skin, bones etc.) is possible but creating an organ bank is not. In case of organ transplantation, the process has to be very quick in order to save a life. Keeping a brain-dead person on ventilator support helps as the organs continue receiving oxygen, providing a window of time for doctors to conduct organ transplantation. There is a waiting list of people who have asked for an organ – however, in India, the waiting list is very huge and the number of organ donors are far lesser.
Who cannot donate organs?
There are several medical and lifestyle factors that may prevent an individual from being eligible to donate organs. The specific criteria can vary depending on the country and the specific organ being donated, but some general reasons why someone might not be able to donate include:
- Age: Many countries have age restrictions on organ donation. Typically, donors must be at least 18 years old, but there may be upper age limits as well.
- Medical history: Certain medical conditions or illnesses can make it unsafe for a person to donate organs. Some of these conditions include active cancer, HIV/AIDS, and certain infections such as hepatitis.
- Lifestyle factors: Lifestyle factors like drug use, heavy alcohol consumption, or high-risk sexual behavior may disqualify a person from donating organs.
- Organ-specific criteria: Different organs have different criteria for donation. For example, donors of certain organs like the heart or lungs must be brain dead and on life support, while living donors can donate a kidney or a portion of their liver.
- Weight and body mass index (BMI): Being overweight or having a high BMI can sometimes make it difficult to donate certain organs, such as the liver.
It is important to note that organ donation is a personal decision, and it is important to discuss your wishes with your family and healthcare providers to ensure that your wishes are respected after your death.
