FAQ: Organ, tissue donationThe information below is from the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization, Inc., a nonprofit health service dedicated to advancing organ, tissue, and eye donation throughout Indiana.
For more information about organ and tissue donations, visit
www.iopo.org.
Question: How can I register to be an organ or tissue donor?
Answer: When you renew your Indiana driver's license, you are asked if you wish to be an organ, tissue or eye donor. If you answer "yes," a red heart is printed on your license. You may also register your wishes online at
www.donatelifeindiana.org.
Q: How do I make sure my donation wishes can be honored?
A: If you are 18 or older and have registered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or with the Indiana Organ, Tissue and Eye Donation Registry, or you have signed a legal document indicating your wishes, medical personnel have the legal authority to carry out your wish. If you're not 18 years old, you must have your parents' or guardians' consent.
Q: Why is it important to discuss organ donation with family members?
A: Unless you have registered to be a donor, either at the Indiana Bureau or Motor Vehicles or online, your family will be asked to make the decision. Even if you have registered, discussing your wishes is a good idea.
Q: Will my medical care be affected by my decision to donate?
A: No. Physicians will make every attempt to save your life.
Q: What organs and tissues can be donated?
A: Eligible organs are the kidneys, liver, heart, lung, pancreas and small intestine. Tissues that can be donated are the cornea and eye, skin, bone, tendons, heart valves and veins.
Q: How is it determined who gets a transplant?
A: Patients waiting for a transplant are listed with the United Network for Organ Sharing. When a donor is identified, the donor's blood type, tissue type, body weight and size are matched against the list of potential recipients. Severity of illness and time on the waiting list are also considered.
Q: How are organs and tissues taken?
A: Transplant surgeons and other medical professionals remove organs, tissues and corneas with technical skill and the utmost respect. This is done most often in a sterile hospital operating room.
Q: What can living donors donate?
A: A living donor may donate a kidney, segments of the liver, lobes of the lung, a portion of the pancreas. Living donors can also donate bone marrow and blood. For information about bone marrow donation, visit
www.abmdr.org.
Q: Is living donation increasing?
A: Yes. Living kidney donors now account for nearly 52 percent of all kidney donors, and the number of living donor liver transplants has doubled since 1999.
Q: What are the qualifications for living donors?
A: A living donor must be in good health and generally between the ages of 18 and 60 years old. The decision to become a living donor is a voluntary one, and the donor may change his or her mind at any time during the process.
Q: Does everyone who registers to be a donor become an organ donor?
A: No. Cardiac and respiratory function are essential to keep organs functioning for transplantation. Therefore, only people who have suffered brain death can be organ donors, unless a person chooses to be a living donor.
Q: How do I find out more?
A: For information, call the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization at (888) 275-4676(ASK-IOPO). Also, there are numerous Web sites with information, including:
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www.organdonor.gov#
www.livingorgandonor.org-- Compiled by David Smith/dsmith@journalandcourier.com
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080817/NEWS/808170330
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