Facts About Donating Organs

"Are you an organ donor?" Chances are you have been asked this when you registered for or renewed your driver's license. Understanding how organ donation works is crucial, because the more people who are willing to serve as organ donors, the more lives will be saved.

History

• The need for organ donation stems from the history of organ transplantation surgery. The first successful organ transplant occurred in 1954, when Joseph Murray transplanted a kidney from one identical twin to another. It was successful, but further attempts failed because the recipient's body would usually reject the organ since it was not genetically identical. In 1970 cyclosporine, a powerful immunosuppressive drug, was discovered, and this led to successful transplantations between deceased donors and living recipients. By the 1980s, immunosuppressive drugs had improved to the point that organ transplants were highly successful, and this created an increased need for organ donors.

Function

• If you decide to become an organ donor, you are stating that you are willing for your organs to be used for an organ transplant procedure after your death. You indicate this by signing up to be a donor when you get your driver's license or state ID card. Organ donation is only considered when all life-saving efforts have been made and the donor has been officially declared as dead. Unless you clearly state in your will or on your driver's license that you are willing to be an organ donor, your organs cannot be used to save someone's life. However, in some states your next-of-kin can give permission for your organs to be donated after your death.

Time Frame

• Just about any person can be an organ donor, from a newborn baby to an elderly individual. Some medical conditions make it impossible to donate organs, but age is not a factor as long as the particular organ is functioning well. However, some organs need to be transplanted quickly after death is determined to preserve their viability. For this reason it is important that you not only document your wishes clearly, but also inform your loved ones of your desire to be a donor.

Effects

• If you choose to become an organ donor, your information will be kept confidential. The donor family will not know the name of the donor, and your family will not know the name of the recipient. The donor family will, however, know the age, gender, and health condition of the recipient after the transplant occurs. It is possible for donors and recipients to correspond, but this is done anonymously. If both the recipient and the donor's family wish to meet, the organization that governs the organ transplant can facilitate a meeting.

Misconceptions

• The world of organ donation is clouded by myths. Some believe that doctors will not make every attempt to save the life of a potential donor, but his is not true. The doctor in charge of your care when you enter the hospital is not in charge of organ transplantation, so his or her focus will be on your care. Similarly, organs cannot be taken until sufficient testing has been done to verify that the donor is no longer alive. Another common myth is that organ donation prevents the family from having an open-casket funeral for the deceased. Most organs can be harvested without causing damage that would prevent this arrangement.

Expert Insight

• The truth about organ donation is that there is currently a growing organ shortage. According to LifeSource, one of the agencies that work to match organ donors with recipients, there are currently 100,000 people in the United States alone who are waiting for transplants that will save their lives. Each day nearly 20 people die while waiting for an organ transplant. This number is growing quickly, so the need for willing organ donation is very real.

Potential

• Those who are in need of an organ transplant are placed on a waiting list for a matching organ donor. There is no way to "buy" your way to the top of this list. The list is registered with the United Network for Organ Sharing. Organ procurement organizations work with the UNOS to match recipients with donors. A combination of factors are used to determine who will receive available organs, and these include medical urgency, the amount of time the recipient has spent waiting and the genetic match between the recipient and donor.