Questions, Answers, and Myths About Donation

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What is organ and tissue donation?
Donation is the gift after death of a kidney, heart, liver or other vital organs as well as bone, heart valves and corneas for medical transplantation to others in serious need. However, you can donate a kidney, a portion of your liver and bone marrow as well as blood while you are living.
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How successful is organ transplantation?
Organ transplantation is regarded as a standard medical practice for a number of conditions. Survival rates are impressive. The one year survival rate for kidney transplant recipients is almost 96%, for heart recipients, over 82%, for liver recipients, more than 80%. Thousands of individuals receive life saving and life enhancing transplants each year.
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How successful are tissue transplants?
Tissue transplants affect about a half million people in this country each year. Individuals who have experienced serious injury and illness are returned to healthy and productive lives each year from tissue transplants. Shattered bones are replaced and healed, damaged ligaments and tendons are repaired, clouded corneas are cleared, blood circulation is restored and burned skin is replaced.
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What is the need for organ and tissue donation?
The need is great. More than 100,000 individuals nationwide are waiting for organs. In Hawaii, approximately 375 seriously-ill people of all ethnic groups are waiting for a heart, liver, kidney, or pancreas transplant. Hundreds of others need cornea or bone transplants so they can live healthier lives. Sadly, there are not enough donations to meet the need. Nationwide, approximately 16 people die every day and in 2008 16 people died in the State of Hawaii while on the organ transplant waitlist.
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Who can be an organ donor?
Organ donors range in age from newborn to seniors. Most organ donors are victims of accidents that have caused fatal head injuries. These include automobile accidents, drowning, smoke inhalation, gun shot wounds and brain bleeds from a stroke or sudden trauma to the head. Organ donors are individuals who have been declared “brain dead” and who are on a machine called a ventilator that breathes for them because their brain can no longer send signals to their body to breathe.
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Who can be a tissue donor?
Bone donors range in age from 15 yrs to seniors. Eye donors range in age from 2 yrs to seniors. Tissue and eye donors can be declared either “brain dead” or “cardiac dead.”
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What can I donate and how many people will benefit?
You may donate your heart, pancreas, liver, lungs, and kidneys, as well as bone tissue that will help individuals in need of bone grafts to replace bone damaged by conditions such as cancer, fracture or arthritis. Skin tissue and corneas can also be donated to help burn victims and to restore sight. 25 people could benefit if you were to donate all your vital organs and tissues.
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May I choose which organs or tissues I want to donate?
Certainly. Just indicate on the registry which organs and tissues you choose to donate.
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Should I still include my wish to be a donor on my Driver License?
Once you are registered on the Donate Life Hawaii website it is not necessary to indicate your wishes on your driver’s license. Many people, however, continue to include their wish on their driver’s license as a way to share their decision with their family.
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Can I change my mind about being a donor?
No problem. Log in to the registry using your password to make changes at any time.
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Can my family override my decision to donate?
Once you sign up with the Donate Life Hawaii registry, your donor designation grants authorization for organ and tissue recovery. Should you be in the position to donate, your next of kin will be informed of your registration, but will not have the power to override your decision. It is important to let your next of kin know your wishes so that they may be prepared to provide the health care team information about your medical history.
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Will the quality of my hospital treatment and efforts to save my life be lessened if I’m declared a donor?
Absolutely not! Everything medically possible will be done to save your life before donation is even considered.
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How will my condition be explained to my family at the time of organ donation?
Your physician will use the term “brain dead.” Brain death is a legal definition of death. “Brain dead” means that, as a result of a sudden accident or severe injury to the brain, the body’s blood supply to the brain is blocked, and the brain dies. This causes all organs to stop working within a few days. This condition cannot be changed. Brain death is permanent and irreversible. There is no chance of recovery from brain death.
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How is brain death determined?
A physician will conduct required medical tests to make a diagnosis of brain death. These tests are based on sound and accepted medical guidelines. These tests confirm that there are no brain reflexes and there is no blood flow or brain activity. These tests also confirm that you are unable to breathe on your own. In most cases, these tests are performed twice, several hours apart to ensure accurate results.
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What happens to me after I am declared “brain dead”?
Once the diagnosis of brain death is made, you are pronounced legally dead. This is the time that will appear on your death certificate. If you are a candidate for organ and/or tissue donation, a health care professional will inform your family of your registry status. Your family may be asked to provide information regarding your medical history. Please know that we are sensitive to your family’s overwhelming feelings of sadness, shock and grief at the time of loss. As such, we take great care to treat your family with compassion and respect.
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When will my organs be removed?
After you have been declared brain dead, your organs and tissue will be removed by a skilled surgical team.
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Does donation cost my family anything?
No. Donation is considered a gift. Your family and the hospital are not responsible for donation expenses. All costs are absorbed by Organ Donor Center of Hawaii. Also, your family will not receive any payment. Your family is responsible for the costs of medical treatment prior to your death and for funeral expenses, just as they would be if donation did not take place.
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Will my body’s appearance be changed after donation?
Organ, eye and bone donation is a careful surgical procedure that should not change the physical appearance of the body. Donation won’t interfere with funeral plans, including an open casket service.
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What happens after my organs and tissues are recovered?
After surgery your body will be prepared and the funeral home contacted as with any person who dies in the hospital.
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Who will receive my organs and tissues?
Recipients are chosen by how sick they are and how well they match with the donor organ with regard to tissues, size and blood type. The social or financial position of the recipient are not factors in determining who is transplanted.
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Will the recipients of my organs and tissues be told who I am?
Organ donation is an anonymous gift. Names are not exchanged between the recipient and your family. However, general information will be shared with your family including the sex and age of the recipient and how the individual is doing.
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Does my religion support organ and tissue donation?
Most major religions support donation and view donation as an act of human kindness in keeping with their religious teachings. Catholics view donation as an act of charity, fraternal love and self sacrifice. Transplants are ethically and morally acceptable to the Vatican. Buddhism believes that organ and tissue donation is a matter of individual conscience and place high value on acts of compassion. Reverend Gyomay Masao Kubosei, president and founder of the Buddhist Temple of Chicago says, “We honor those people who donate their bodies and organs to the advancement of medical science and to saving lives.” The importance of letting loved ones know your wishes is stressed. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believes that the decision to donate is an individual one made in conjunction with family, medical personnel and prayer. Judaism teaches that saving a human life takes precedence over maintaining the sanctity of the human body. People are often unaware of the attitudes of their faith towards donation. The best advice is to discuss your concerns and questions about organ and tissue donation with your clergy or spiritual advisor.
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