Immediate, surgery-related risks of organ donation include pain, infection, hernia, bleeding, blood clots, wound complications and, in rare cases, death . Long-term follow-up information on living-organ donors is limited, and studies are ongoing.
What are the pros and cons of organ donation?
- You can save a life, possibly multiple lives. You may even save the life of someone you love.
- Your family can find comfort in knowing your organs saved others. ...
- Organ donors and recipients do not have to be an exact match. ...
- Medical research donation can save even more lives.
Why you shouldn't be an organ donor?
During a study by the National Institutes of Health, those opposed to organ donation cited reasons such as mistrust of the system and worrying that their organs would go to someone not deserving of them (e.g., a “bad” person or someone whose poor lifestyle choices caused their illness).
Does organ donation shorten your life?
Living donation does not change life expectancy , and does not appear to increase the risk of kidney failure. In general, most people with a single normal kidney have few or no problems; however, you should always talk to your transplant team about the risks involved in donation.
What are the disadvantages of organ donation?
- It can prolong the grieving period of a family. ...
- There is not always a choice for the donation. ...
- Not everyone can become an organ donor. ...
- Organ donations can lead to other health problems. ...
- Not every organ which is donated will be accepted.
What happens to your body if your an organ donor?
With organ donation, the death of one person can lead to the survival of many others . The donor is only kept alive by a ventilator, which their family may choose to remove them from. ... This person would be considered legally dead when their heart stops beating.
Are there any benefits to being an organ donor?
One donor alone can save or drastically improve the lives of eight or more people , and donations don't always have to occur postmortem. Living donation serves as a viable option, especially in cases of kidney and liver transplantation, and saves the life of both the recipient and the next person on the waiting list.
Do organ donors get free funerals?
Truth: There is no cost to the donor's family for organ, eye and tissue donation . ... Expenses related to saving the individual's life and funeral costs remain the responsibility of the donor's family. Myth: Organ and tissue donors cannot have an open casket funeral.
Who pays for organ donation after death?
There is no cost to the donor's family for organ or tissue donation. Hospital expenses incurred prior to brain death declaration and funeral expenses after the donation are the responsibility of the donor's family. All costs related to donation are paid for by the organ procurement organization .
Which organ Cannot transplant?
If the whole heart cannot be transplanted, heart valves can still be donated.
Why you shouldn't donate your body to science?
The biggest drawback of donating your body is that your family cannot have a service with the body present . You can have a memorial service without a viewing. In some cases, the funeral home will allow for immediate family to have a closed viewing, much like an identification viewing.
What religions do not allow organ donation?
No religion forbid this practice. Directed organ donation to people of the same religion has been proposed only by some Orthodox Jews and some Islamic Ulemas/Muftis. Only some Muslim Ulemas/Muftis and some Asian religions may prefer living donation over cadaveric donation.
Can I donate my heart while still alive?
The heart must be donated by someone who is brain-dead but is still on life support . The donor heart must be in normal condition without disease and must be matched as closely as possible to your blood and /or tissue type to reduce the chance that your body will reject it.
What are the long-term effects of being a living organ donor?
Some possible long-term risks associated with donating a lobe of the liver may include wound infections ; hernia; abdominal bleeding; bile leakage; narrowing of the bile duct; intestinal problems including blockages and tears; organ impairment or failure that leads to the need for transplantation.
What organs can you donate while alive?
As a living donor, you may be able to donate: one of your kidneys , one liver lobe, a lung or part of the lung, part of the pancreas, or part of the intestines.
Can a female donate a male kidney?
Conclusions. Our results suggested gender matching for kidney transplant. Only in some exceptional conditions, male donor to female recipient kidney transplant may be successful and female donors to male recipients are not suggested , especially in aged patients with the history of dialysis.
