Organ donation is the process of surgically removing an organ or tissue from one person (the organ donor) and placing it into another person (the recipient). Transplantation is necessary because the recipient’s organ has failed or has been damaged by disease or injury. Many organs can be donated. Donations include the liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, lung, Intestine, cornea, middle ear, skin, bone marrow, heart valves, and connective tissue.
Organ transplantation is one of the great advances in modern medicine. Here are the statistics:
·
1
out of 3 deceased donors is over the age of 50.
·
115,000
men, women and children await lifesaving organ transplants.
·
82% of patients waiting are in need
of a kidney.
·
13% of patients waiting are in need
of a liver.
·
22
people die each day waiting for an organ.
·
683,000
transplants have taken place since 1988.
·
8,000
deaths occur every year in the U.S. because organs are not donated in time.
·
82%
of patients waiting are in need of a kidney.
·
Deceased organ donors in the U.S. exceed10,
000 in 2017
·
Even
the largest football stadium in the US could not fit the number of patients on
the national transplant waiting list.
·
Every
10 minutes another person is added to the national transplant waiting list.
·
Every
ten minutes, someone is added to the national transplant waiting list.
·
In
2016, 33,600 transplants brought new life to patients and their families.
·
On
average, 20 people die each
day while waiting for a transplant.
·
One
organ donor can save eight lives.
There are
three main types of organ donation listed below (with subcategories):
1.
A living donation: It
saves two lives: the recipient and the next one on the deceased organ waiting
list. Kidney and liver patients who are able to receive a living donor
transplant can receive the best quality organ much sooner (often in less than a
year).
Beneath this is a directed
donation, which is where the donor specifically names the person to
which they are donating who will receive the transplant. This is the most
common type of living donation. In a directed donation, the donor may be an:
·
Altruistic donation:
The living donor is not related to or known by the recipient, but makes his/her
donation purely out of selfless motives. The match is arranged based on medical
compatibility with a patient in need. Some altruistic donors choose never to
meet their recipient. In other cases, the donor and recipient may meet at some
time if they both agree, and if the transplant center policy permits it.
·
Paired donation:
This involves at least two pairs of
living kidney donors and transplant candidates who do no not have matching
blood types. The candidates exchange donors so that each candidate receives a
kidney from a donor with a compatible blood type.
2.
Deceased donation: This
is the process of giving an organ (or a part of an organ) at the time of the
donor’s death for the purpose of transplantation to another person. In order
for a person to become an organ donor, blood and oxygen must flow through the
organs until the time of recovery to ensure viability.
This requires that a person die under circumstances that
have resulted in a fatal brain injury (usually from massive trauma resulting in
bleeding, swelling or lack of oxygen to the brain). Only after all efforts to
save the patient’s life have been exhausted, tests have been performed to
confirm the absence of brain or brainstem activity, and brain death has been
declared, is donation a possibility.
3.
Vascularized
Composite Allografts (VCA): This involves the
transplantation of multiple structures that may include skin, bone, muscles,
blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. The most commonly known type of
VCAs are for hand and face transplants. This groundbreaking form of therapy
returns vital function and identity to people who have suffered a devastating
injury or illness.
Authorization
for VCA is never assumed as part of a registration to be an organ, eye and
tissue donor. VCA authorization must be specifically stated by an individual on
their donor registration or by the legal next-of-kin if authorizing the
donation at the time of death.
“it gave me a second chance. I’d like
everybody to have a second chance if they need it. So I’m trying to let people
know how important it is to become an organ donor.” (Mickey Mantle)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“Organ
Donation and Transplantation” by Cleveland Clinic
·
www.donatelife.net
·
www.unos.org
Dedicated to Tiffany Slusher
No comments:
Post a Comment