Organ Donation Facts and Statistics

Currently, the following organs can be donated depending on the age, medical condition and conditions at the time of death.

• Heart
• Lungs
• Liver
• Kidneys
• Pancreas
• Small Intestine
• Eyes

Organ donation facts
All people are potential organ donors irrespective of their age. Only they must let their family know that they wish to become a donor and sign an organ donor card as well as the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. After their death, every patient and every organ are assessed individually. If it is found that the organ is hale and functioning normally, then donation is certainly possible. The Donor Network has obtained organs from young donors as well as from adults in their 90s. Thus, the patient's medical history is more significant than the age. If active cancer, active HIV or active infection are present, then donation has to be canceled. In case of Hepatitis, some detailed data is essential at the time of death. Those having Hepatitis B or C may donate organs to patients afflicted with the same.

Organs have to be removed as quickly as possible after brain death is confirmed in an operating room under sterile conditions, while circulation is being maintained artificially. All the expenditure regarding donation is bore by the Organ Procurement Organization and none by the donor family. Such a donation does not mar the body or cause to postpone funeral procedures. The knowledge of who is the donor or the donor family is not disclosed to anyone.

There exists a standing ethics committee in the Organ procurement organizations. Additionally, every region and hospital has an ethics committee that discusses every case. The United Network for Organ Sharing too has an active ethics committee.

It is quite practical for an alive person to donate a kidney or a part of the liver, lung or pancreas. Such living donations are managed by individual transplant centers where the recipient is present. The New York Organ Donor Network started the Living Donor Kidney Exchange Program on August 17, 2005 with an aim of increasing kidney donation. Following issues decide the possibility of living donation:

• interest of the donor
• need of the intended recipient
• need of the society
• interest of the close relative of the donor and recipient
• interest of the transplant center taking care of the recipient

The entire body can be donated for medical education and research. The New York Organ Donor Network makes such a donation possible after the organ could not be accepted for potential organ donation. At times it happens that some institutes request for some specific organs for research. Then, the Donor Network furthers this request of a particular organ to donor families.

Process of Organ donation
The Organ Donation process involves the following steps:

• Donor referral : when a patient is about to die, the hospital's representative requests confidential information from the New York Organ Donor Network to find out if the patient is a potential donor
• Medical evaluation : a transplant coordinator analyzes the medical suitability of the organ of the potential donor, interviews the next of kin and completes a medical and social questionnaire about the potential donor
• Declaration of death
• Consent for Organ Donation : a transplant coordinator furnishes detailed information to the next of kin and asks the kin to sign a consent form regarding the organs to be donated
• Medical Examiner/Coroner : a transplant coordinator must confirm from the Medical Examiner/Coroner whether the death is under jurisdiction
• Organ Allocation and Recipient Identification : the available organ is allocated as per the degree of match, medical urgency and time waiting. The transplant surgeon finalizes regarding whether the recipient is a proper match
• Organ recovery : the transplant coordinator oversees the work of the surgical recovery team consisting of surgeons, nurses, the transplant coordinator and an organ preservation technician
• Organ preservation : Hearts and lungs can be preserved for 4 hours after removal. Similarly, pancreas for 8 to 12 hours, livers for 12 to 18 hours, intestines for 8 hours and kidneys for 24 to 48 hours
• Donor family follow-up : letters are sent to the donor's family, relevant doctors and nurses regarding the outcome of the donation
• Costs : all the expenses are billed to the New York Organ Donor Network which is reimbursed by the recipient's transplant hospital which is further reimbursed by the recipient's insurance company or Medicare

Organ donation statistics
During the year 2006, there were 8024 deceased organ donors in the United States. This was the first time that the number 8000 was surpassed in a calendar year. The number of deceased donors increased by 29.6% from 2002 to 2006 and by 5.6% from 2005 to 2006. The minority donation percentage also increased in 2006. African-Americans were 15.5% and Hispanics were 13.7% of the total deceased donors. According to the organs, the total donations could be split into:

• 7180 kidney donations
• 7017 liver donations
• 2275 heart donations
• 2026 pancreas donations
• 1325 lung donations
• 184 intestine donations

According to the race/ethnicity, the total donations could be split into:

• 5427 white donations
• 1243 black donations
• 1097 Hispanic donations
• 174 Asian donations
• 42 multiracial donations
• 22 AM Indian/Alaska donations
• 19 Pacific Islander donations