Organ donation is the greatest way to save lives. While death takes a person’s life away, their organs can still be donated to save other lives. One organ donor can donate up to 25 organs and tissues, which can save almost 9 lives. Organs such as liver, heart, kidney and pancreas can be donated.
What is organ donation?
Organ donation is the method of surgically removing the organ of the donor and placing it into the recipient. Here, the recipient’s dysfunctional organ is replaced with the proper functioning organ of the donor. These transplants improve the quality of life for the patient and give them another shot at life.
How can it change lives?
Vital organs such as kidney, liver and heart can be transplanted with failing organs. This saves the patient from depending upon expensive treatments for surviving. They can return to their normal lives after a transplant. For example, if a person has a cornea transplant, he or she can regain the ability to see and move properly like others.
In organ donation, the person pledges during his or her lifetime, that their organs can be used for transplantation – after their death – to help other patients live their lives. With advancements in medical science, even the elderly people in their 80s can donate their organs.
Types of organ donation are –
The following organs can be donated after death –
Heart
Liver
Kidneys
Pancreas
Tissue
Corneas
Lungs
Small bowel
People of all ages can become an organ donor. The doctors will check the age and past medical history of the potential donor.
The kidneys are responsible for the elimination of waste from the body. The blood is filtered in the kidneys and all toxic wastes are filtered out and excreted through urine. When this filtration does not happen effectively, a lot of waste can be found in the blood, which affects normal body function.
Kidneys may lose their functioning either due to age, injury, or disease conditions. Whatever the reason, when kidney function is hampered, the body suffers. If there was an injury or congenital problem, it could be unilateral and the non-affected kidney could still do the function. However, if it is infection or old age, normally both kidneys are affected and then replacement should be looked for externally. This is where a kidney transplant comes into the picture.
What is it?
It is a surgery where a healthy, functioning kidney is placed into the body. The donor could be
Identifying the right donor and recipient:
What to expect during surgery?
Kidney transplant success rates are quite high, and more and more people are opting for transplants as opposed to dialysis.