QUESTIONS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION

To help you decide, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about organ and tissue donation.

• Who can become a donor?
• How do I become a donor?
• What organs and tissues can I donate?
• Will my decision to become an organ and tissue donor affect the quality of my medical care?
• Will donation disfigure my body? Can there be an open casket funeral?
• Are there any costs to my family for donation?
• Do religious groups support organ and tissue donation?
• What will happen to my donated organs and tissues?
• If I needed a vital organ to live, would I be able to get one?
• How are organ and tissue recipients selected?
• Does donation affect funeral and burial arrangements?
• Don't only the rich, famous, and well-connected get organs?
• How does organ allocation work?
• Are organ transplants successful?
• What if the hospital errs in billing the donor family?
• Why does my family have the final say? What about me?
• Why carry a card around if my family makes the decision?
• What if I die of advanced age or disease?
• Should I mention my donation decision in my will?
• Can I change my mind?

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Who can become a donor?
You should consider yourself a potential organ and tissue donor. Anyone, regardless of age, race, or gender can become a donor. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissues can be donated.

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How do I become a donor?
Tell your family. Sharing your decision will make it easier for your relatives in the event of your death. Hospitals require consent from next-of-kin before organ and tissue donation can occur.

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What organs and tissues can I donate?
Needed organs include the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines. Tissues that can be donated to help others include the eyes, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons.

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Will my decision to become an organ and tissue donor affect the quality of my medical care?
No. Organ and tissue recovery takes place only after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared. The doctors working to save your life are entirely separate from the medical team involved in recovering your organs and tissues.

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Will donation disfigure my body? Can there be an open casket funeral?
Donation neither disfigures the body nor changes the way it looks in a casket.

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Are there any costs to my family for donation?
No. Donor families are never charged, and they will not receive any payment or compensation for the donation. Buying and selling organs is against the law.

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Do religious groups support organ and tissue donation?
All major religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it a gift, an act of charity. If you have any questions, contact your religious advisor.

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What will happen to my donated organs and tissues?
A national system ensures the fair distribution of organs in the United States. The patients who will receive your organs and tissues will be identified based upon many factors, such as blood type, length of time on waiting list, severity of illness and other medical criteria. Factors such as race, gender, age, income or celebrity status are not considered when determining who receives an organ. Buying and selling organs is against the law.

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If I needed a vital organ to live, would I be able to get one?
Maybe. Many people who need transplants of organs and tissue cannot get them because of a shortage of donations. Every month, more than 2,000 names are added to the national waiting list for organ transplants.

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How are organ and tissue recipients selected?
The National Transplant Act of 1984 established equal access to donated organs and tissues for all potential recipients. A national computer system matches donors and recipients on the basis of need and availability.

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Does donation affect funeral and burial arrangements?
No. A person may make any burial arrangements desired. A traditional, open-casket funeral is possible.

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Don't only the rich, famous, and well-connected get organs?
Absolutely not. Anyone can become an organ or tissue recipient. Almost 20,000 people receive organ transplants each year. People with no connections at all get transplants every day.

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How does organ allocation work?
Through a carefully managed matching process. When an organ becomes available, a computer search identifies potential candidates that match the donor's characteristics and prints out a list of patients ranked in priority order. Factors include blood type, body size, immune status, severity of illness, and length of time on the waiting list. Each donor generates a different list. Actually, all allocation issues boil down to not having enough organs. The solution is to persuade more people to become pledged donors so that no one has to make decisions about who lives and dies.

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Are organ transplants successful?
Yes. Studies show high survival rates among transplant procedures. At most US transplant centers, the success rate for kidney transplants is in the range of 90-95 per cent. Of the transplants performed in 1994, for example, 82 percent of heart transplant patients and 79 percent of liver transplant patients survived for at least a year. Some recipients have lived for 10, 20 years and more. These rates continue to improve as advances occur in technology and anti-rejection drug therapy.

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What if the hospital errs in billing the donor family?
Don't worry. Sometimes, because of hospital billing procedures, donor families receive bills that include some charges relating to the donation. Organ and tissue procurement agencies tell their donor families not to pay those bills until the agencies have had a chance to review them and pay their charges. Then the agencies have the hospitals re-bill the families for any charges that were not related to the donation.

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Why does my family have the final say? What about me?
The family matters. Although laws technically allow procurement agencies to recover organs and tissues without family consent, in practice this is rarely done. In most states, hospitals and physicians by custom and policy defer to the family because they know the family lives on and must feel comfortable and at peace with what happens to their loved one. This respect for the families involved helps maintain public trust in the donation system.

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Why carry a card around if my family makes the decision?
It saves time. Donor cards save time, and time is crucial to a successful donation and transplant. A donor card identifies you immediately, and emergency room personnel are instantly alerted of your wishes.

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What if I die of advanced age or disease?
Transplantation of organs may not be feasible. However, organs and tissues that cannot be used for transplants because of advanced age or disease can often be used to help scientists find cures for serious illnesses. Call a nearby medical or dental school about making specific arrangements for donating your body to science.

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Should I mention my donation decision in my will?
No. The reading of the will usually occurs after the funeral arrangements are made or completed. However, preparing or amending a will can be an opportunity for informing your family about your donation decision because this is the time you will inform them about distributing your personal property among heirs.

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Can I change my mind?
Yes. Just tell your family and tear up your donor card.

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