What is organ donation?
What is organ donation?
Organ donation is a medical process that takes healthy organs and tissues from 1 person and places them into another person.
Experts say that the organs from 1 donor can save or help as many as 50 people.
Organs and tissues that can be donated include:
Most organ and tissue donations happen after the donor has died. But some organs and tissues can be donated while the donor is alive.
People of all ages and backgrounds can be organ donors.
-
If you are under age 18, your parent or guardian must give you permission to become a donor.
-
If you are age 18 or older you can sign a donor card to show you want to be a donor.
If you want to become an organ donor, you should let your family know your wishes.
Learn more about organ donation:
What are the types of organ donation?
Deceased organ donation
Deceased organ donation is when a person donates an organ or part of an organ at the time of their death.
Learn more about deceased organ donation:
Living organ donation
Living organ donation is when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ to another person.
There are 2 kinds of living organ donations:
-
Donations made by family members or friends.
-
Donations made by people the recipient doesn’t know. This is known as an altruistic donation.
Learn more about living organ donation:
What does the organ donation process look like?
Deceased organ donation
If you get a deceased donation transplant, in general, you will:
Have a medical diagnosis that means you need an organ transplant.
Get evaluated at a transplant center to make sure you’re healthy enough for major surgery and are a good candidate for a transplant. Each center makes their own decisions about accepting someone for a transplant. If one center decides you are not a good candidate, a different center may decide you are.
Get placed on an organ donation waiting list.
Wait for an organ to become available.
Get transplant surgery when an organ becomes available.
Get follow-up care after surgery, such as medicines and doctor visits, to keep you and your transplant healthy.
Throughout this process, your transplant center can help you find emotional and financial support.
Learn more about the deceased donor process:
Living organ donation
If you get a living donation transplant, in general, you will:
Have a medical diagnosis that means you need an organ transplant.
Get evaluated at a transplant center to make sure you’re healthy enough for major surgery and are a good candidate for a transplant. Each center makes their own decisions about accepting someone for a transplant. If one center decides you are not a good candidate, a different center may decide you are.
Learn about living donor transplants. Your transplant center can give you lots of information about living donation.
Build your support system and spread the word about your need for an organ.
Wait for a donor to agree to donate an organ.
Get tests to see if you and the donor match. Your transplant center will do these tests to see if your body is likely to accept the donated organ.
Get transplant surgery if you and the donor match.
Get follow-up care after surgery, such as medicines and doctor visits, to keep you and your transplant healthy
Throughout this process, your transplant center can help you find emotional and financial support.
Learn more about the living donor process:
How do I become an organ donor?
Deceased organ donation
You can register to become a deceased organ donor at:
-
Your local Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) office
It’s a good idea to let your family and close friends know that you want to be an organ donor. They can help make sure that health care providers carry out your wishes when the time comes.
Anyone can sign up to be a donor, but some people may not be able to donate if they have certain medical conditions. These conditions can include viral meningitis, tuberculosis, or HIV. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure about your condition.
Living organ donation
You can learn more about becoming a living organ donor by contacting a transplant center in your area. To find a center near you, search the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN) member directory.