Organ transplants have been performed for more than 50 years, saving lives and significantly improving the quality of life of patients, more and more of whom are in need of a transplant. Thousands of people were waiting for a transplant. However, almost one in three possible transplants is refused, often due to lack of information. Here is what you need to know about organ donation.

How do you let people know that you want to be an organ donor?

The only way to let people know that you want to donate your organs is to tell your relatives.

 

Indeed, it is to them that the medical teams will ask the question.

 

Is the donor card useful?

The donor card has no legal value and is rarely found at the time of death.

 

What is presumed consent?

In many countries, everyone is an organ donor by default.

 

However, everyone is free to object to the donation of their organs. If you are against it, simply tell your family or join the national refusal register, depending on the country, which medical teams consult before undertaking any removal.

 

So remember to make your choice clear to your family, as it can be very difficult for them to make a decision urgently without knowing your opinion.

 

What happens to the body of the organ donor?

The removal of organs takes place in the same way as an operation on a living person. The incisions are closed with stitches.

 

After the operation, the body is dressed and returned to the family. No scars are visible and there is no charge to the family.

 

Is donating one's organs and donating one's body to science the same thing?

Donating your body to medicine is not organ donation. In this case, the body is not returned to the family and the donation is only possible if the person has registered with a medical school.

 

Can you donate your organs if you are ill?

Any person, regardless of age, health or sexual orientation, can be considered a potential organ donor.

 

In principle, it is therefore possible to donate one's organs if one is ill and even if one is undergoing treatment.

 

It is the doctors who will judge, on a case by case basis, according to the condition of the organ or tissue and the general state of health of the donor at the time of death.

 

Can the donor's family contact the recipients?

The donor's family cannot contact the recipients. Transplant recipients cannot know their donor either.

 

This is the rule of anonymity between donor and recipient.

 

However, the donor's family can know if the transplant(s) was successful.

 

Can one donate one's organs during one's lifetime?

You can donate your organs while you are still alive.

 

To donate an organ during one's lifetime, one must either have a family link or a "close and stable" emotional link.

 

This type of donation is highly regulated, as it is necessary to check that the donor has fully understood all the issues and risks involved in the operation and that he or she has not been subjected to any pressure from family and friends.

 

What are the most commonly transplanted organs?

The most commonly transplanted organs are usually the kidney, liver, heart and lung.

 

The kidney is the most transplanted organ, followed by the liver.

 

 

Source: dondorganes.fr