Organ donation

Organ donation: the gift of life

Organ Donation is a unique procedure, which involves the transplantation and removal of workable organs from the donor to the receiver. However, the receiver’s body must match with the organ given by the donor. This lessens the chances of rejection of a particular organ.

Currently, thousands of people around the globe require organ transplantation, which can help to save as well as improve his health condition. However, the demand for organs always exceeds supply. Numerous patients die, as there are not enough organs available to be transplanted. Transplantation, moreover, can be termed as one of the most incredible accomplishments of contemporary medicine. A living example of the technical advancements taking place in medical science transplantation is stated as a miraculous achievement.

With the increasing number of patients all around the sphere, there is a desperate dearth of donors. According to recent research, one among ten patients every year die due to the scarcity of organs. With the increase in number of donors who assure to donate their organs the chances of several people receiving a new life increases.

Requirements of a Donor

A donor can be of any age. However, any person below the age of 18 must come with the consent of her parents. People of all ages are entitled to be probable organ and tissue donors. However, there are a few exceptions here. HIV positive patients, people with some type of systematic infections and active cancer patients are excluded from the list of organ donors. Besides, the donors are assessed whether they are fit to donate a particular organ. Thus, people of all age groups are potential organ donors. Starting from an infant to a senior citizen, the donor is not bound by any age constraint. However, the most crucial factor in this case is that the organs must be in good condition. This explains the age factor, as someone in his early twenties complaining of alcohol abuse might possess a worse liver condition than someone in his sixties. The donation is usually done after a person’s death. The purpose is, however, to donate a person’s organ to another individual in need. The transplantation takes place through operation involving the planting of an organ taken from another person and putting it into the diseased person’s body.

Organs that can be donated

The usual organs that can be transported include kidneys; heart, liver, lungs, intestines and pancreas. In addition to these, the transplantable entities include eyes, bone, skin and heart valves. Other than these, some other types of transplants such as kidney/pancreas transplants, heart/lung transplants and even combined organ transplants can also take place.

The organs meant to be donated cannot be stored; they must be used within a stipulated period of a few hours after being removed from the body of the donor. Donors are usually dead humans as mentioned before; however, living people can also donate their organs. For example a person can donate a section of his pancreas, a part of a lung, part of the liver, a part of the intestine and even a kidney.

• Tissue

Some parts of the body can be stored in a tissue bank. They are heart valves, bone, corneas, the middle ear, veins, cartilage, skin, tendons, and ligaments. These sections of the body assist to restore sight, repair hearts, cover burns, and fix up any damaged tissue and cartilage in the person who receive the organ.

• Stem Cells

An individual within the age group of 18 to 60 are capable of donating blood stem cells, on condition that the person is healthy enough. To make a successful blood stem cell transplant, the blood tissue of the donor as well as the patient must match. A matched tissue type or human leukocyte antigen enables to carry on with a successful donation procedure. For this reason, during any tissue transplant, the donor is usually selected from the family or from the similar racial and ethnic group as the chances of matching the tissue increases in this case. Healthy donors can donate three types of blood stem cells. They include:

1. Marrow

The marrow is a soft tissue, which is located in the interior cavities of bones. It is moreover a foremost location of blood cell production. The removal of this tissue is done to acquire stem cells.

2. Cord blood stem cells

The umbilical cord, which connects the mother with the newborn baby at the time of pregnancy, holds blood. This blood is said to encompass high levels of blood stem cells. This type of blood can be collected and kept for quite a long time. Therefore, this offers to be an additional source of stem cells intended to be transplanted into patients.

3. Blood and Platelets

Blood and Platelets are produced in our body through a life cycle. Besides, these elements are on a consistent basis replaced all through our lives. This further explains that blood and platelets can be donated more than once in a lifetime. Therefore, blood can be contributed once in three months and platelets twice in a single week. Divided according to the type the blood is stored in a blood bank. Along with the specific type (A, B, AB, or O), the Rh factor is also mentioned. Blood can be put to use in several methods. It can be used as a whole, or by dividing into plasma, platelets and packed red cells. In case of donation of platelets, the recipient might not be given blood. Besides, during the requirement of platelets, especially when the patient does not need blood, the platelets are extracted from the blood of a donor returning him the blood. The body of the donor shall replace the extracted platelets within a few hours of time.

Donation Process

The donation process initiates, after two registered doctors confirm the death of a patient. The doctors who offer to provide a death certificate do not take part in the transplant operation. A highly qualified team of surgeons undertake the task of sterile surgical operation, which involves organ and tissue donation. The operation does not call for a mutilation or disfiguration of the body. After the completion of the operation, the wounds are properly washed and closed, as done in other types of operations. Moreover, there is no religious barrier cast in front of any type of donation, as most of the religions in the globe endorse organ & tissue donation seeing them as crucial acts of charity. The process of organ donation in no way affects funeral arrangements. After the operation is done, the body is properly stitched, cleaned and covered. It is then given back to the family members.

Becoming a Donor

Once you decide to donate your organs, you can simply complete a donor pledge form. After the completion of the form, you can forward it to any transplant center. The center will then return you a registration card. Your family must be informed of your wish to be an organ and tissue donor. As you make your family a part of your decision, it becomes easier for them to carry on your wishes after your death. This can further help you to explain your family the difference you can create in a person’s life through your donation. However, immediately after your death, your family must consent to the donation even if you have a donor’s card. The transplantation cannot be carried out without their consent.

Donation done by a living person

Living people can also donate some of their organs. A healthy person can donate blood, blood platelets and bone marrow; these can be donated for more than one time in one’s entire life. Other than these, an individual can even donate a kidney and carry on with his life with the other one. He can even donate a part of his liver. The liver develops back into its size within a few weeks.

Every probable living donor is evaluated in order to verify his suitability for making donations. Normally, living donors must possess good health and must be physically fit. Likewise, living donors, in the 18 to 60 age group, and not having diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, kidney disease, or heart diseases, can also make donations. Besides, most of the donors are the ones who have suffered brain death due to some accident, heart attack, or stroke. Brain death leads to the total termination of brain functioning, encompassing the brain stem function as well.

Whole body donation

However, people who plan to donate their whole body to medical science must get in touch with any of the medical schools or organizations carrying out the donation program. In that case your entire body shall be taken away by some medical school after your death.

Organ and tissue donation is the ultimate humanitarian act of charity and generosity. Several patients through out the world are suffering from serious or life-threatening illnesses. For all these people organ or tissue transplantation may denote a second chance at life, or even an enhanced quality of life.