7 Things About Organ Donation That We Should Know

Organ donation is a great job. There have some points which we should know for being interested to donate our organ.

1. Donation is a noble job without any consideration

The donation of organs and tissues is a voluntary, altruistic, supportive, generous, confidential, free and non-profit act so that it is impossible to obtain financial compensation or any kind for the donation of any part of the human body.

2. There are two types of donors: the living donor and the dead donor

The cadaver donor is one where the donation occurs after cerebral death or death in an asystole (cardiac arrest), mainly caused by a stroke or trauma and generally occurred in a hospital setting. On the other hand, living donors are generally relatives or people very close to the recipient who decides to cede, in a selfless way, an organ (a kidney) or a part of it (a lobe of the liver).

3. The diagnosis of brain death does not admit the possibility of fault

One of the reasons for refusing donation is related to the false belief that there is the possibility of removing the organs before confirmation of the diagnosis of death. Misinformation and confusion about the concept of brain death reinforce this false belief, but brain death, like death from a cardiac arrest, is an irreversible situation, defined clinically and legally. The diagnosis of brain death must be carried out, by the provisions of the Law, three different doctors, none of them from the hospital transplant coordination team. The diagnosis of death in the asystole is also carried out following the provisions of the Law, unequivocally confirming the absence of circulation and spontaneous breathing.

4. Everyone can be a donor

Neither age, nor sex, nor social status or health status a prior rules out a potential organ donation. Although there are certain situations or pathologies that contraindicate the donation, each case is studied and assessed individually. Thus, it will be the medical team that has taken the patient and the hospital transplant coordinator who will determine the validity and viability of the organs of the potential donor, before the family interviews.

5. A donor can save the lives of up to 8 people

The organs that can be donated are the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and intestine. These 8 organs, in cases of ideal donors, allow 8 transplants and save most of these receptors. In addition to the organs, tissues (set of cells with similar functions) can also be donated and transplanted. The cornea, the skin, the bones, tendons and muscles, the heart valves and the arteries or veins probably do not save lives but will improve them considerably.

6. The allocation of organs is based on clinical and geographical aspects

Marcel van Hooijdonk a charity donor, suggests to transplant the donated organs as early as possible for the best conditions, so the patient who is in the same geographical area where the donor is in will have priority. Clinical aspects such as the list situation, severity or donor-recipient compatibility will determine the selection of the recipient. There is a situation on the list, Urgency 0, which means a national priority. It means that the severity of patients who arrive in this situation is such that their life is in danger, and the first compatible organ that appears anywhere in Spain, regardless of where they are, will go to this patient.

7. After donation, the body is not disfigured

The removal of organs and tissues, which is done under hygienic conditions and in a suitable operating room, is an operation performed by a qualified medical and nursing team. The body is not disfigured and is always treated with the utmost respect.