I just had a discussion with my husband regarding this topic and he just found out that I'm an organ donor. He has a problem with this fact because he doesn't want to "desecrate" my body after I die by allowing doctors to remove my viable organs. I disagree with this line of reasoning because when a person is embalmed, the organs are removed anyway and if they're just going to throw away your organs is it wrong to donate them to someone in order to save their life?

So I did a little research on the topic.

Every 16 minutes a new name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list. Each year thousands of Americans could benefit from a heart transplant. But only 2,154 heart transplants were done in the United States in 2002.
These figures show the serious shortage of donated hearts and the small percentage of donated hearts that are actually transplanted (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4697)

Each day, about 74 people receive organ transplants. However, 19 people die each day waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs. (http://www.organdonor.gov/)

and here is a fact sheet from the National Kidney Foundation:

The success rates of transplant surgery have improved remarkably, but growing shortages exist in the supply of organs and tissues available for transplantation. Many Americans who need transplants cannot get them because of these shortages. The result: some of these people die while waiting for that "Gift of Life."

Each year, the National Kidney Foundation develops special public education programs aimed at increasing public awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation. Learning more about organ and tissue donation will help every American to make an informed decision about this important issue. Here are some facts everyone should know:

Over 89,000 U.S. patients are currently waiting for an organ transplant; nearly 4,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month.
Every day, 17 people die while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ, such as a heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, lung or bone marrow.
Because of the lack of available donors in this country, 3,886 kidney patients, 1,811 liver patients, 457 heart patients and 483 lung patients died in 2004 while waiting for life-saving organ transplants.
Nearly 10 percent of the patients currently waiting for liver transplants are young people under 18 years of age.
Acceptable organ donors can range in age from newborn to 65 years or more. People who are 65 years of age or older may be acceptable donors, particularly of corneas, skin, bone and for total body donation.
An estimated 12,000 people who die each year meet the criteria for organ donation, but less than half of that number become actual organ donors.
Donor organs are matched to waiting recipients by a national computer registry, called the National Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). This computer registry is operated by an organization known as the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which is located in Richmond, Virginia.
Currently there are 58 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) across the country, which provide organ procurement services to 261 transplant centers.
All hospitals are required by law to have a "Required Referral" system in place. Under this system, the hospital must notify the local Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) of all patient deaths. If the OPO determines that organ and/or tissue donation is appropriate in a particular case, they will have a representative contact the deceased patient’s family to offer them the option of donating their loved one’s organs and tissues.
By signing a Uniform Donor Card, an individual indicates his or her wish to be a donor. However, at the time of death, the person's next-of-kin will still be asked to sign a consent form for donation. It is important for people who wish to be organ and tissue donors to tell their family about this decision so that their wishes will be honored at the time of death. It is estimated that about 35 percent of potential donors never become donors because family members refuse to give consent.
All costs related to the donation of organs and tissues are paid for by the donor program. A family who receives a bill by mistake should contact the hospital or procurement agency immediately.
Tissue donation can enhance the lives of more than 50 people. Donated heart valves, bone, skin, corneas and connective tissues can be used in vital medical procedures such as heart valve replacements, limb reconstruction following tumor surgery, hip and knee joint reconstruction and in correcting curvature of the spine.
In 2004, a total of 14,156 organ donors were recovered in the U.S. Of these, 7,005 were cadaveric donors, which represented a small increase over the total of 6,457 in 2003. Living donors increased from 6,827 in 2003 to 7,151 in 2004.
Donor organs and tissues are removed surgically, and the donor’s body is closed, as in any surgery. There are no outward signs of organ donation and open casket funerals are still possible.
Acceptable organ donors are those who are “brain dead” (whose brain function has ceased permanently) but whose heart and lungs continue to function with the use of ventilators. Brain dead is a legal definition of death.
Organ transplant recipients are selected on the basis of medical urgency, as well as compatibility of body size and blood chemistries, and not race, sex or creed.
Advances in surgical technique and organ preservation and the development of more effective drugs to prevent rejection have improved the success rates of all types of organ and tissue transplants.
About 94.2 percent of the kidneys transplanted from cadavers (persons who died recently) are still functioning well at one year after surgery.
The results are even better for kidneys transplanted from living donors. One year after surgery, 97.6 percent of these kidneys were still functioning well.
Following are one-year patient and organ graft survival rates:

Organ Patient Survival Rate Grft Srvl Rate



Kidney (cadaveric) 94.2% 88.4%
Kidney (live donor) 97.6% 94.5%
Liver 89.1% 79.3%


Following is a comparison of the numbers of organ transplants done in 2004 and the numbers of individuals who are on the national waiting list as of August 2005.

Organ # Tnsplnts in 2004 # of Pts on Wtng List (8/05)

Kidney 16,004 63,092
Kidney/Pancreas 881 2,468
Pancreas 604 1,693
Liver 6,168 17,413
Heart 2,016 3,091
Heart/lung 39 160
Lung 1,173 3,353
Intestine 152 190


Total 27,037 89,286


Of the single kidney transplants performed in 2004, 6,647 were from living donors and the rest were from cadaveric donors. In addition, 881 kidneys were transplanted in combination with pancreas transplants.
Over 2,500 bone marrow transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2004. Marrow is collected from a pelvic bone using a special needle while the volunteer donor is under anesthesia. The majority of bone marrow transplants are done for leukemia.
In 2004, 7,000 cornea transplants were performed. Corneal transplantation results in improved vision in nearly 95 percent of those who undergo the procedure because of corneal disorders. Corneas are acceptable for donation regardless of abnormalities in vision.
Virtually all religious denominations approve of organ and tissue donation as representing the highest humanitarian ideals and the ultimate charitable act. (http://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/fsitem.cfm?id=30)


so I just wanted to know everyone's feelings on the subject

 

What's the point of buriyng the body? it will disappear through time anyway, but by donating your organs you might be able to save somebody's life.

 

I personally think that if they're going to cut me up when I die anyway, why not have some good come of it? As long as they go to someone who really needs them why not donate them? On the other hand, if they go to someone who deosn't need them or needs them because of their own self destructive choices then I wouldn't want to waste my organs on them.

 

actually that's a common misconception because the people who take your organs aren't the same as the doctors who try to save your life

 

I was considering this sort of thing, as well as blood donation, but ive recently been caught having diabeties, so im not allowed to give blood or organs now, unless a cure is found

my old man managed to donate about 1000Litres of blood, im impressed by that

 

There is another part to organ donation that a lot of people don't realize.

You can donate your bones. Doctor's can't transplant the whole bone because it is hard to match up the femur or tibia, for example (leg bones for those of you that don't know). But they can use a section of bone as a patch, much like a tire patch to add strength to the original bone.

I didn't realize this particular science existed until I attended a club meeting some time ago and this was the program topic.

I guess you could check with the DMV, a local hospital or mortician to find out more about this.

 

My theory: If I'm dead I don't need them anyways.

 

Exactly. This whole thing about body "desecration" is one of the more primitive superstitions anyone ever conjured up. The worms will get us all, sooner or later, and all we can hope for is to delay the process a little. Me, I'd rather fertilize the lawn, but by all means, take the organs, if they can do someone some good.

 

If you die try not to land on your liver some people may need a good liver.

 

Even if you weren't a donor, he might not have a say whether your organs are removed or not. If you die a suspicious death or an unattended death (in various states) an autopsy is done whether the family wants it or not. For those who don't know, when a body is autopsied, all the organs are removed (even the brain). When they are put back, they are put into the stomach cavity.

 

"When they are put back, they are put into the stomach cavity."

cool.


I am an organ donor, proud of it. Will always be, unless I am diagnosed with diabetes (it has a strong presence in my family) or some other ailment that limits me from doing so.

 

I'm an organ donor. If they can use it, take it. All those figures you posted though, it's just more compelling evidence for stem cell research. They're alredy in the infancy stages of being able to grow new organs. Give it ten years and a current shift in political power in the U.S. and the need for transplants could become a thing of the past.

–S–

 

just today (well it's AM now) i donated blood. first time. and i did it like a pro. not even a twich.
to top it of the song American woman was playing on the radio (or cd) and when you hear that guitar solo and see someones blood go thru a tube up into a bag that already has some clear liquid in it and the cloud of blood shoots up like a mushroom cloud and turns opaque it hits you. your in a bus full of 98% chimpanzees drawing blood, red life, and going to be put into another monkey when he/she needs it. sweeeet.

 

ShakeZula, at last we agree on something. I'd almost given up hope. :wink:

 

Well, you age because your cells stop dividing and reproducing to replace the ones that die, so it's not quite that simple. It would definately give you a bit longer though.

And Kimiko, I think you'd find we agree on more than you think, we just quibble over details. I keep trying to tell you i'm not a Neo-Con, but no one listens. :lol:

–S–

 

ok now wait...I didn't know that
I want it to be done when I'm dead, not when I'm still breathing!

 

I could be wrong, but I think this happens because some organs can't be donated if the person is already dead. I've heard instances like this, but the donor was usually on life support and they removed the organ right before death.

 

My father-in-law isn't just donating his organs, he's donating his entire body to science. When he dies, his body will go to a medical school.

Anyone ever thought about doing this?

 

The wife and I are both organ doners, have been for a long time.
Doc.

 

I haven't thought about it, but I wouldn't go that far.
Becides the fact that I want to be cremated