THINKING OF BEING A DONOR?

THINKING OF BEING A DONOR?

09:00 - 27 March 2008

If you have been touched by the stories in our series so far, there are two ways you can help.

If you know someone who needs a new organ, it is possible to become a live donor. This is where you donate part or all of an organ that you can survive well without: a kidney, or part of your liver and lung.

However, most people who want to help meet the demand for organs may do so after they die.

Here are some common questions, answered by experts at UK Transplant:

Why do I need to make a decision about whether to become a donor? In the UK, organs and tissue from a potential donor will only be used if that is their wish. You can indicate your wishes by telling a relative or close friend, by carrying an organ donor card or recording your wishes on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Do you have to die in hospital to have your organs donated? Yes. Most organ donors are patients who die as a result of a brain haemorrhage, severe head injury, or stroke and who are on a ventilator in a hospital intensive care unit. These donors are called heartbeating donors. Organs such as hearts, which deteriorate very quickly without an oxygen supply, are usually only donated by a heartbeating donor. Patients who die in hospital but are not on a ventilator can, in some circumstances, donate their kidneys, and in certain circumstances, other organs. They are called non-heartbeating donors. Both types of donor can donate their corneas and other tissue.

What is the NHS Organ Donor Register? It is a confidential, computerised database which holds the wishes of more than 14.6 million people who have decided that, after their death, they want to leave a legacy of life for others.

Do I need to register if I have a donor card? Yes. Cards can and do get lost.

Who would get my organs and tissue if I became a donor? Many things need to match or be very close to ensure a successful organ transplant. Blood group, age and weight are all taken into account. For kidneys another important factor is tissue type.

Live donors

Who can donate? Donors are often a close relative. But those with "an established emotional relationship" with the recipient can donate - such as a partner or close friend. Donors may also offer to give a kidney to someone who is on the waiting list for a transplant but whom they have never met.

What is the age range for donors? There is no minimum age limit but most will be over 18. Children would only be considered in very exceptional circumstances.

Will the transplant be successful? Living kidney transplantation is overwhelmingly successful with 90-95% of live donated kidneys working well at one year. The success rate for kidneys from deceased donors is 85-90%.

For more information, visit www.uktransplant.org.uk or call 0845 60 60 400. Log on to www.thisisnottingham.co.uk to hear Nottingham views on organ donation

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