| |
Gifts
of Donation
Organ Allocation
Transplant Process
Brain Death
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Religious Beliefs
Facts and Statistics
|
|
|
|
Gifts
of Donation
Medical advances have made it possible to transplant tissues and
organs from one human being into another to enhance and save lives.
The first corneal transplant was performed in 1905, the first blood
transfusion in 1918, the first kidney transplant in 1954, the first
liver transplant in 1967, the first heart transplant in 1968, the
first pancreas transplant in 1968 and the first successful heart-lung
transplant in 1981. Today medical technology enables the transplantation
of:
1.
Heart
2. Kidneys
3. Liver
4. Lung
5. Pancreas
6. Small Intestine
7. Bone
8. Cartilage
9. Fascia
10. Heart Valves
11. Skin
12. Tendons
13. Veins
14. Corneas |
|
 |
|
Organ/Tissue
|
Function
|
Application
|
|
Heart
|
Pumps
blood to body systems
|
End-stage
heart disease
|
|
Kidneys
|
Extracts
waste from blood, produces hormones
|
Eliminates
need for dialysis in end stage renal disease
|
|
Liver
|
Energy
regulation, makes proteins, removes wastes from blood
|
End-stage
liver disease
|
|
Lungs
|
Organs
of respiration
|
Cystic
fibrosis, emphysema, end-stage lung diseases
|
|
Pancreas
|
Secretes
enzymes necessary for digestion and insulin that helps regulate
blood sugar
|
Diabetes,
eliminates need for insulin injections, reduces risk of losing sight
or limb
|
|
Small
Intestine
|
Aids
in digestion
|
Correction
of birth defects, cancer treatments and other diseases of the digestive
tract
|
|
Bone
|
Supports
body, protects vital organs
|
Facial
reconstruction, limb salvage, spinal and oral surgery, cancer treatments,
correction of birth defects
|
|
Cartilage
|
Connective
tissue serving as skeletal tissue
|
Facial
and other reconstruction
|
|
Fascia
|
Fibrous
tissue covering muscles
|
Repair
tendons, ligament deformities
|
|
Heart
Valves
|
Directs
blood flow through heart
|
Replace
diseased heart valves
|
|
Skin
|
Protects
body against dehydration, injury and infection
|
Temporary
burn covering, de- creases pain, infection, scarring, heat loss
and fluid loss
|
|
Tendons
|
Attach
muscle to bone
|
For
use in joint injuries
|
|
Veins
|
Transports
blood
|
Replace
diseased arteries
|
|
Corneas
|
Allows
light to enter eye
|
Restore
sight to damaged cornea
|
Organ
Preservation and Matching
After they have been surgically removed from a donor and placed in cold
preservation solutions, organs must be transplanted within a certain time
frame to remain viable:
- Heart
- 4-6 hours
- Lungs
- 4-6 hours
- Liver
- 12-16 hours
- Pancreas
- 10-12 hours
- Small
intestine - 10-12 hours
- Kidneys
- 36-72 hours (normally transplanted within 24 hours)
The distribution
of donated organs allows equal access for patients awaiting a transplant
in the United States. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) maintains
the national computer network for organ allocation that matches potential
recipients according to the following these guidelines:
- Blood
type
- Body
size
- Severity
of illness
- Time
on waiting list
- Geographic
location / distance from available organ
|
 |
