According to the U.S. government, about 100 people receive transplanted organs each day.That’s the good news.
Organ recipients and the families of donors and recipients find satisfaction in both the giving and receiving.
The following questions and answers may help you make those decisions for yourself.
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How Does Illness or Age Affect the Ability to Donate Organs?
There is no maximum age for organ donation.
It’s true that some infectious diseases will cause the transplant decision-makers to reject a patient as a donor.
What Parts of the Human Body Can Be Donated After Death for Transplantation?
Transplants of the hands and face, which are less common, are now being performed.
Examples include corneal tissue transplants.
Healthy donor skin can be grafted to help a burn victim.
A new kidney may allow someone who is on regular dialysis the freedom to stop dialysis treatments.
What About Whole Body Donation?
Another kind of donation, but just as much of a gift, is whole body donation.
Medical universities and research labs are highly appreciative of donations of human bodies.
The great majority of donations are accepted, although some infectious diseases may rule out donation.
Two organizations that may be helpful are theAnatomy Gifts RegistryandScience Care.
Who Will Get Your Donated Organs and Tissues?
The decisions about who will get those healthy organs and tissue need to be fair and objective.
They maintain lists of patients' names, their geographic locations, and their need.
As patients get sicker waiting for organs to be available, those lists are updated.
What Happens Upon Death If You Are an Organ Donor?
Your body will be treated with respect and dignity when the tissues are harvested.
How Much Does It Cost to Donate Your Body or Organs?
There is no cost to the donor or the donor’s family.
Are There Religious Restrictions for Organ Donations?
OrganDonor.govlists of religions and their beliefs about donation and transplantation.
Most denominations and traditions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam approve of organ donation and often encourage it.
Notable exceptions include Christian Scientists, and the Shinto faith.
Will Doctors Work as Hard to keep your Life If They Know You Are an Organ Donor?
Any other decisions about donations take place once there is no hope you could be kept alive any longer.
How Do You Become an Organ or Whole Body Donor?
it’s possible for you to register as an organ donor if you are age 18 or over.
There are two ways to sign up, eitheronlineor in-person at your local motor vehicle department.
Then you must make your wishes known to your family.
While you explain your wishes to your family, ask them to become organ or body donors, too.
Also, you should develop advanced directive documents.
While you explain your wishes to your family, ask them to become organ or body donors, too.
you might change your donor status at any time, but you don’t have to keep renewing it.
Being on the state registry is legal consent.
Health Resources and Services Administration.Organ donation statistics.
Health Resources and Services Administration.Who can donate?
Health Resources and Services Administration.What can be donated?
Health Resources and Services Administration.Organ Donation FAQs.
Oliver M, Woywodt A, Ahmed A, Saif I.Organ donation, transplantation and religion.Nephrol Dial Transplant.
2011;26(2):437-44. doi:10.1093/ndt/gfq628
