ABOUT ORGAN DONATION
- WHAT IS ORGAN DONATION? Organ donation is the entire practice of retrieving a human organ from a living or deceased person, who is referred to as a Donor, and transplanting it into a recipient. The recipient will be a patient who is suffering from organ failure and who will not survive unless she/he receives an organ replacement. The process of recovering organs is called Retrieval.TRANSLATE with
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EnglishTRANSLATE withEnable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal - WHAT IS TISSUE DONATION? Tissue Donation is the process of Retrieving or Procuring tissues from a living or deceased persons, called a Donor, and transplanted into the Recipient who needs it.Medical Science has made tremendous progress in recent times in the field of organ donation and transplantation, with organ donation from one person capable of saving up to 9 lives and improving the lives of many others.However, due to the prevalence of myths about organ donation, and the lack of awareness about the topic in India, a majority of people do not take up this noble cause for the benefit of others.
- WHICH ORGANS CAN BE DONATED? Let’s take a closer look at the different organs that can be donated by a person after death and while the person is still alive. There are eight organs that can be donated and transplanted:Kidneys: Both kidneys can be donated by a deceased donor. On average the lifespan of a transplanted kidney is around nine years, but it varies from individual to individual. Of all organs in the human body, the demand for kidneys is the highest, and kidneys are the most frequently donated organs. A kidney disease most likely affects both kidneys at the same time. A living donor can easily donate one kidney to someone and function well for the rest of their lives.Liver: The liver is an important organ with primary functions of bile production & excretion; excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones, and drugs; metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates; enzyme activation; storage of glycogen, vitamins and minerals; synthesis of plasma proteins; blood detoxification and purification. The liver is the only organ in the human body that can grow cells and regenerate. A donated liver from someone who has died (a deceased donor) can further be split into two pieces and transplanted into two different people to save their lives. A living donor can have a portion of her/his liver removed to donate to someone, and the remaining portion will regenerate to almost its full previous size.Heart: A heart is a muscular organ which pumps blood through the human body. In a person’s life, the heart will beat around 2.5 billion times on average and keep the blood running in the body. After being retrieved from the donor, a heart can survive for 4-6 hours only.Lungs: Single or double-lung transplants can be performed from deceased donors. Additionally, living donors can donate a single lobe from the lungs, though it will not regenerate.Pancreas: A deceased donor pancreas can be transplanted into an ailing patient. A living donor can also donate a portion of the pancreas and still retain pancreas functionality.Intestine: After death, a donor can donate their intestine. Although quite rare, a living donor can donate a portion of the intestine.
In addition to organs, you can also donate tissues such as corneas, skin, bones, ligaments, heart valves etc.TRANSLATE withx
EnglishTRANSLATE withEnable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal - WHICH TISSUES CAN BE DONATED? Layers of cells that function together to serve a specific purpose are called Tissues. Most Tissues should be donated within 6 hours of the donor’s death.Cornea: Cornea donation or eye donation is the most common tissue donation. The Cornea is a transparent covering over the eye. It is also the eye’s primary focusing element. Recipients who suffer from corneal blindness can gain their sight again after a corneal transplant. These patients are those who may have been blinded by an accident, infection or disease. Either the entire Cornea can be transplanted or it can be transplanted in parts. A Corneal Transplant is does not need any anti-rejection drugs in the recipient. Corneas from all ages of recipients are effective as long as the Doctors as they are healthy.
Bones: Bones from deceased donors are used to replace bones of recipients whose bones are cancerous. A Bone transplant can be done instead of amputating the cancerous arm.
Skin: Skin can be used as grafting for burn victims, acid attack victims or for post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, amongst other things.Veins: Donated veins are commonly used in surgeries for cardiac bypass.Apart from these, other tissues that can be donated are muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and heart valves.TRANSLATE withx
EnglishTRANSLATE withEnable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal - TYPES OF ORGAN DONATION There are two types of organ donations – Living Organ Donations & Deceased Organ Donations.Living Organ Donation: This is when you retrieve an organ from a healthy living person and transplant it into the body of someone who is suffering from end-stage organ failure. This is commonly done in the case of a liver or a kidney failure (because the liver can grow back to its normal size and a donor can survive on one kidney).Living donors are classified as either a near relative or a distant relative/friends etc.A near-relative is spouse, son/daughter, brother/sister, parents, grandparents and grandchildren.Those other than near-relative can be distant relatives and friends who will need the permission of the State Authorization Committee to donate organs. If the hospital refuses to entertain such cases, the patient may send a legal notice to the hospital for not following the Transplant Act.Deceased Organ Donation: When we talk about pledging your organs for donation or about organ donation after death, we are talking about Deceased Organ Donation. This is an organ donation from a person who has been declared brain stem dead by a team of authorized doctors at a hospital. A person is said to be brain stem dead when there is an irreversible loss of consciousness, absence of brain stem reflexes and irreversible loss of the capacity to breathe.A lot of people think that whenever and however they die, their organs can be donated. That is not true. In India, organ donation after death is only possible in the case of Brain stem death.Donation after cardiac death is common in the West, but in India it is rare for donations to take place after cardiac death.Although it is possible for organs such as the liver and the kidney to be easily donated from a living donor to a recipient, we should work towards an environment where everyone donates their organs after their deaths (if they can), so no living person should have to donate an organ to another.TRANSLATE with
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EnglishTRANSLATE withEnable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal - WHAT ORGANS CAN BE DONATED AFTER DEATH?? All organs and tissues that are viable can be donated after a person is declared Brain Dead.Brain Death and Organ DonationWhat is Brain Death and how is it related to organ donation?A brain stem death or brain death results from a severe irreversible injury to the brain or haemorrhage which causes all the brain activity to stop. All areas of the brain are damaged and no longer function, due to which a person cannot sustain his/her own life, but vital body functions may be maintained by an artificial support system. This maintains circulation to vital organs long enough to facilitate organ donation. Patients classified as brain stem dead can have their organs surgically removed for organ donation.A Brain Dead person has absolutely no chance of recovering. Brain death is a form of death and is irreversible. Once brain stem death or brain death has been declared, the person is dead, but their organs are still alive because they have been kept alive through artificial means. This means that if a person dies at home or anywhere else, and their heart stops beating, they cannot donate their vital organs, because the organs of a person who has died a cardiac death will die within minutes of the heart stopping. Therefore, the only time you can donate your vital organs is if you are in hospital and have been declared brain dead.In case of a cardiac death it is possible to donate your corneas and tissues such as bones, skin, veins, blood stem cells, blood and platelets, tendons, ligaments, heart valves, cartilage and even your body.While the incidence of brain death is obviously less common than cardiac death, it is important to remember that organ donations will take place only if everyone is aware about when and how they can donate organs.TRANSLATE with
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EnglishTRANSLATE withEnable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal - PRODEDURE FOR BRAINSTEM DEATH DECLERATION IN INDIA
The process of brain stem death declaration and organ donation under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, is governed by strict legal and ethical protocols to ensure transparency and fairness. The act defines specific steps to certify brain stem death and facilitate organ donation, ensuring the involvement of qualified medical professionals and the informed consent of the donor's family.
The brain death declaration panel is a critical component of this process. It consists of four medical professionals: the registered medical practitioner in charge of the hospital, a doctor from a government-approved panel authorized by the Appropriate Authority, a neurologist or neurosurgeon, and the treating doctor of the deceased patient. These individuals must conduct the certification with utmost impartiality, ensuring they have no conflict of interest or potential benefit from the organ transplantation process.
Brain stem death testing involves performing the required tests twice, with a mandatory six-hour gap between them. The results of these tests are recorded on Form 10 as per the guidelines of THOTA. The legal time of death is determined at the conclusion of the second set of brain stem death tests. To maintain legal and ethical standards, these certifications are reviewed and countersigned by the hospital’s medical director or superintendent.
The consent process is equally vital. Consent from the family or next of kin is obtained using Form 8, ensuring clear and documented agreement for organ donation. Only after this step is completed and verified can the organ retrieval process commence. This guarantees that the decision is voluntary and fully understood by the family.
Once all formalities are complete, the organs can be retrieved following strict protocols to maintain medical, legal, and ethical standards. This systematic approach ensures that the organ donation process is conducted with the highest level of integrity, respecting the wishes of the donor and their family while upholding the law.
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