Therapeutic Controversy: The Organ Donation Process

According to United Network for Organ Sharing (2010) organ donations and transplantation are the removal of organs and tissues from one person and placed into another person’s body. The need for organ transplantation usually occurs when the recipient organ has failed (UNOS, 2010). Organ donation can save the lives of many individuals who are on the waiting list for an organ donation. Becoming an organ donor can be a difficult decision. Many people have the false beliefs about being an organ donor. An example would be if organ donor is on their driver’s license and a person is in a life-threatening accident everything will not be done to save their life. There is an increase need for organ donors and unfortunately the need for organ

1. People of all ages and backgrounds can be organ donors, and if you are under 18, you must get permission from your parent before registering as an organ donor.

Throughout the years of medical experiments and research, surgeons have discovered a way to transplant certain body parts onto or into someone who needs them. Hands, arms, lungs, skin, and various different limbs and organs are donated to patients on the organ donation list. Approximately twenty two people die everyday waiting for a transplant just one donation can save up to eight people and affect the lives of fifty others(Facts About Organ Donation, 2017).

In order to be eligible for an organ donation list, you must be in end-stage organ failure. This means that one of the patient’s organs has not been working for a while and it is impossible for them to live without some kind of help or transplant. For many patients, end-stage organ failure can come as a shock even if they have known for months that one of their organs was failing. With kidneys, this means the patients are put on dialysis if they are not already. Dialysis is a process that mechanically helps to do the things that the kidneys normally do. This can include filtering waste and toxins out of the body. Many organs can be transplanted from living and dead donors, including kidneys, heart, lung,

An organ donation consists of the removal of organs and tissue from a donor and then transplanting them into a person who is in desperate need of an organ. The majority of transplants occur when the donor is deceased, in situations where the donor is alive they may give one of their kidneys or part of their liver to a patient. Around 1,600 Australians are waiting for a life-changing transplant. Waiting for an organ can be up to weeks or months, meaning that many people past away waiting for a transplant.

Organ donations not only save lives but also money and time. If organ donations became prevalent the organ recipient would no longer need dialysis. Since there is no need for dialysis the cost to use the machine would lessen; this means that the cost of equipment would decrease, saving the hospital and insurance company’s money. More lives would be saved as well as benefit from those that no longer need an organ. In the book titled “Elements of Bioethics” adult organ transplants are only that have medical insurance. If organs are taken from recently deceased the cost for those that has no medical coverage was lessen. The process of organ transplantation is life changing and time is crucial. With shorter waiting time it would put ease on the person’s heart to know that this lifesaving event would happen sooner rather than later. In addition, when the organ is taken from the recently deceased the risk would be eliminated from

Organ donation is the medical process of voluntarily giving one or more of your organs to someone in need, whether it be someone you know or a stranger. It is strictly voluntary, no payment for the organ/s will be given from the hospital, the recipient or the recipients family. In organ donation, there are two types of donations, living organ donation and deceased organ donation. Living organ donation is when the donor is still alive and voluntarily chooses to donate one or more of their organs to a recipient(s) in need. Whereas, deceased organ donation happens after the donor has passed away, and consent was given to be able to donate their organs.

Organ Transplants are an extensive and complicated process, but the results are life changing to the person receiving and even donating their organs. There are two types of donors, living and deceased. Deceased donation is when a patient in the hospital dies, is declared brain dead, and it either in the donor registry or is appointed to be a donor by next of kin. Deceased donors must have, “irreversible loss of all functions of the brain, including the brain stem” (Consent 1) in order for patients to be considered as donors. Patients in comas will never be permitted to donate organs because their brains are still functioning. Deceased donors must be placed on a ventilator in order to keep blood and oxygen flowing through their organs, which

Every day, 20 people die because they are unable to receive a vital organ transplant that they need to survive. Some of these people are on organ donation lists and some of them are not. The poor and minorities are disproportionately represented among those who do not receive the organs they need. In the United States alone, nearly 116,000 people are on waiting lists for vital organ transplants. Another name is added to this list every 10 minutes. This paper will argue that organ donation should not be optional. Every person who dies, or enters an irreversible vegetative state with little or no brain function, should have his or her organs-more specifically, those among the organs that are suitable for donation-harvested. A single healthy donor who has died can save up to eight lives (American Transplant Foundation).

Organ donation begins with a person who recognizes an opportunity to help others, enrolls in a state donor registry, and shares the decision to be a donor with family members and friends. The culmination of

Web MD states, an organ transplant is the surgical removal of a healthy organ from one person, alive or deceased, and transplanting the organ into another person whose organ is failing. Often an organ transplant is the last effort to save and individuals life. This is why it is so important for individuals to become organ donors. Not all organs in the body are transplantable. (Organ Transplants,16) The most common organs that get transplanted are: heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. Tissue such as bones, corneas, and skin can also be used from organ donors.

There are two sources for donor organs. The first source removes organs from recently deceased people. These organs are called cadaveric organs. A person becomes a cadaveric organ donor by indicating that they would like to be an organ donor when they die. This decision is usually noted either on a driver’s license or on a health care directive. (Ethics of Organ Transplantation, 2004) The second source for donor organs is a living person. Living donors are often related to the patient, but that is not always the case and certainly does not have to be the case.

When contemplating to donate, many different organs can be donated. These are only some of the possible organs that can be donated. A heart valve, intestines, bones, and tendons (“What Organs Can Be”). Some other organs are the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, small bowel, and the pancreas (“Frequently Asked Questions”). And finally bone marrow, and connective tissues can be donated (“Organ Donation and Transplantation”). When a person is living and they want to donate, they can donate one kidney, one lung, a portion of their liver, a pancreas, and part of their intestine (“What Can be Donated”). When someone passes away and is a deceased donor, they can donate every thing listed above, and not just a portion of one (“What Can Be Donated”).

Organ donation is a sacrifice that can touch many people through one person’s unselfish gift. Granted that gift most often comes after a tragic loss of a loved one. As the bearer of three functioning kidneys, I have always considered organ donation to be the expected norm. But today, the focus will be to enlighten you on the reasons to consider organ donation. Organ donations are needed for every age group, race, and ethnic groups. Each person should take the opportunity to extend the gift of life to another individual through organ donation.

If somebody wanted to donate something while they were alive, instead of waiting till they die, there are also some organs that can be donated while they are living. While living people can donate their kidney, part of their pancreas, part of a lung, part of a liver, part of the intestine, bone marrow, and blood (Organ and Tissue Donation). Most people who donate organs or tissues while they are alive donate the organ or tissue to a family member or friend, but there are some cases where they donate it to someone they don’t know. Some of the organs can regenerate themselves and some can’t. If somebody donates and organ while they are alive that doesn’t regenerate itself, they are still able to survive without it. For example somebody can donate a whole kidney and be okay, because they have another one and