Organ Donation Day !
17/08/2020
Organ donation has gained a lot of attention these past few years. Once what seemed like an extremely difficult choice to even be considered, is now being made by people willingly. However, there are still some doubts and questions in people’s minds about organ donation, so here we tell you everything you need to know about this act of saving lives.
What Is Organ Donation And Transplantation?
Organ donation is the act of donating or giving a functioning part of the body to someone in dire need. Organ transplantation is a surgical procedure in which an organ or tissue is removed from the donor and placed into the recipient (the person who needs it).
Which Organs Can Be Transplanted?
Liver: A donated liver can be life-saving for someone with liver failure, which may result from a disease or other factors such as alcoholism.
Kidney: A donated kidney can benefit someone with kidney failure. Instead of spending hours and a ton of money on dialysis three or four times a week, a kidney recipient will be able to live a healthy life.
Pancreas: Donated pancreas can make all the difference in the life of someone who has trouble controlling blood sugar levels. It can help them restore normal insulin production and improve the quality of life.
Heart: Heart transplant can be extremely beneficial for those who are struggling with life-threatening heart-failure conditions.
Lung: A donated lung (or lungs) can prove to be life-saving for someone with damaged or unhealthy lungs.
Intestine: Intestinal transplants are meant for patients with life-threatening complications.
Cornea: Cornea transplants can help restore vision after other approaches have failed.
Middle Ear: As an alternative to conventional hearing aids, middle ear implants have emerged to be helpful and a better option for people with hearing impairments.
Bone Marrow: This benefits a person whose marrow isn't healthy enough to function well. It could be the result of a chronic infection, disease, or cancer treatments.
Heart Valves: These transplants save the lives of infants born with heart defects. They can also be beneficial for adults suffering from diseased or infected heart valves.
Types Of Donation
Deceased Donation: Deceased organ donation is the process of donating an organ after the donor's demise. This means the organ the donor wishes to give will be removed from their body only after they’ve been declared dead.
Living Organ Donation: In this process, a living donor donates an organ to a person whose organ is no longer functioning.
Live Related Donation: In this type of organ donation, the donor is often a family member such as a parent, child, brother or sister, grandparent, or grandchild.
Matching Organ Donation: In this type of organ donation, a computerized system matches the donor’s organs to a potential recipient.
Who Can Be An Organ Donor?
Any individual above the age of 18 can register to be an organ donor. One can register online at the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) for becoming a donor. All you will need to do is fill up an online form and take a pledge, and your name will be added to the donor registry.
How Many People Are Benefited By Donated Organs?
One deceased organ donor can save eight lives. His kidneys can free two people from the pain of dialysis. His lungs can help two people breathe effortlessly once again. A liver can be split and donated to two different individuals who need them. In addition, his pancreas and heart can also help someone come out of a life-threatening condition.
Dr G Sridhar
Chief Consultant – Nephrologist & Transplant Physician
Aware Gleneagles Global Hospital.
Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author. They do not reflect the opinions or views of the organization.
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