Organ transplant: 10 frequently asked questions answered here

Over the past few decades, surgical techniques and transplant therapy have improved. Complex operations such as kidney, liver and heart transplants are routinely performed all over the world with good success rates and this has been beneficial for successful organ transplants. However, the road to transplant is fraught with many questions and can be overwhelming for the patient and family battling this life-threatening condition. In times like these, guidance is important. Questions like where to go and what to do in case of organ failure, costs require a comprehensive road map.

Sunayana Singh, CEO of Organ India, an initiative of Parashar Foundation (NGO) to enable organ donation and transplantation in India, answers some frequently asked questions related to organ transplantation.

Q: Who can become an organ donor?

Singh: People of different ages can become donors. You need to register as a donor and inform your family once you have done so.

Q: Is it important to inform the family after registering for organ donation?

Singh: Organ donation is a sensitive subject because of the complex religious, cultural and social beliefs of our country. Talk to your family members about your reasons for organ pledging. Have several conversations, and share content with them about success stories and life-saving decisions. Then help them through the donation process and learn how your organs can provide hope to those whose lives could be saved through transplants. This is an essential step as they will need consent for retrieval.

Q: How to register to be an organ donor?

Singh: There are many legitimate organ donation NGOs and government portals that can help you register for the same. Also, talk to your doctor and discuss the possibilities. You can visit the website of organ donation under the Department of Health and Family Welfare or you can also approach any government medical college. Apart from this, you can also register with NOTTO.

Q: Does it cost anything to become a donor?

Singh: There is no cost to the donor, the donor’s family or property for organ donation. All it needs is kindness.

Q: If I have a donor card, can the organs be retrieved without my consent?

Singh: That’s not true. Even if you have registered for organ donation and have a donor card, your family or close relatives will be asked for donations before the organs are withdrawn. This is a mandatory procedure before donation can be made. Organ donation will not take place if the person legally in possession of the dead body refuses.

Question: Does organ donation cause the body to deform?

Singh: No. Organ donation does not affect the texture of the body. A highly skilled medical team performs organ retrieval for transplant. The procedure does not deform the body in any way. Organ retrieval does not delay any funeral arrangements or customary burial arrangements.

Q: Can I be a donor if I have a pre-existing disease?

Singh: In most cases, patients with no prior medical history can also be donors. A team of experts, taking into account your medical history, decides whether the organ is suitable for transplant or not. In addition, all donated organs undergo rigorous screening to avoid infection of the recipient.

Q: Who gives consent in case of brain-stem death?

Singh: The person who has legal possession of the body can sign the consent form. The donor’s family has to give consent for any organ to be taken back. By signing a consent form, the family declares that they have no objection to organ removal. It is a legally binding document which is also kept in the hospital records.

Q: How are recycled organs used/distributed?

Singh: Donated organs are matched against a waiting list of individuals. Based on the matching criteria which are based on several factors like blood type, tissue type, critical condition etc., the team of experts decides who will get the retrieved organ.

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Question: Can I lead a normal life after transplant?

Singh: Yes. You can lead a healthy and active life after an organ transplant. Follow your doctor’s instructions and a healthy diet plan. Both the donor and the recipient can have a normal life after the transplant. Organ donation and transplantation is a subject that requires sensitivity and awareness both in the public and in the medical fraternity.

Operational queries like accommodations, labs, chemists, taxis, ambulances, and air ambulance services, among other facilities around every transplant-capable hospital in the country, can feel like lofty mountains while waiting anxiously for an organ. Are. There are resources available online such as the Transplant Guide by Organ India that help answer these common questions.