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.

Organ transplantation is one of the great advances in modern medicine. Unfortunately, the need for organ donors is much greater than the number of people who actually donate. Every day in the United States, 21 people die waiting for an organ and more than 120,048 men, women, and children await life-saving organ transplants.

The Organs and tissues that can be transplanted include:

  • Liver ,Heart valves, Connective tissue
  • Intestine, Cornea , Middle ear , Skin
  • Bone, Bone marrow
  • Kidney, Pancreas
  • Heart, Lung

People of all ages should consider themselves potential donors. When a person dies, he or she is evaluated for donor suitability based on their medical history and age. The Organ Procurement Agency determines medical suitability for donation.

Process to receive an organ or tissue

UNOS maintains the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Through the UNOS Organ Center, organ donors are matched to waiting recipients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

When an organ becomes available, the local organ procurement organization sends medical and genetic information to UNOS. UNOS then generates a list of potential recipients, based on such factors as:

  • Blood type
  • Tissue type
  • Organ size
  • Medical urgency of the patient’s illness
  • Time already spent on the waiting list
  • Geographical distance between the donor and the recipient

The organ is offered first to the transplant center with the candidate who is the best match. The transplant team decides if it will accept or refuse the organ based on established medical criteria and other factors, including staff and patient availability and organ transportation. There’s no age limit to organ donation. A national computer system matches donated organs to recipients.

The factors used in matching the organs include the following:

  • Anyone can be a donor
  • You can save up to 8 lives after you die
  • The chances of you needing an organ donation are much higher than the chances of being able to donate once you die
  • Registration provides clarity
  • Doctors are in the business of saving lives and will always do their best for their patients
  • There is always enough time to say farewell to your loved one
  • It is possible to be buried or cremated in your home country if you are an organ donor
  • The majority of religions and life stances have a positive view of organ donation
  • Everyone in the Netherlands has an equal right to a transplant
  • A donor is not a guinea pig