Organ donors are needed now more than ever. Human donor organs are in extremely short supply, and everyone who needs a transplant doesn’t always get one.
Although organ donors contribute to the more than 28,000 life-saving transplants that happen each year, there clearly aren’t enough organs available for all of the 113,000 people currently waiting for a life-saving transplant. As a result, nearly 20 Americans die daily while waiting on the list.
Why aren’t more people willing to give the gift of life through organ donation? Misinformation is largely to blame as several myths about organ donation and transplantation continue to linger and confuse potential donors. In recognition of April being National Donate Life Month, Dr. Tim Taber, a kidney transplant specialist with Indiana University Health Transplant, the nation’s fourth largest transplant center, and chief medical officer for the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization Inc. (IOPO), debunks nine of the most common organ donation myths:
Myth: If I agree to donate my organs, doctors won’t try to save me in an emergency.
If you’re taken to the hospital in an emergency situation, the medical team’s No. 1 priority is to save your life. Also, the physicians who care for you in an emergency are in no way involved with the doctors responsible for removing and transplanting organs. In fact, the organ transplant team isn’t even contacted until every effort has been made to save the patient’s life, death is officially declared and the patient’s family has agreed to donate their loved one’s organs.
Myth: I can’t donate organs because of my medical history.
Don’t disqualify yourself as a life-saver too soon. In fact, many diseases once thought to prohibit individuals from becoming organ donors are no longer considered barriers (examples include diabetes and hepatitis). Medical professionals will consider donor suitability on a case-by-case basis at the time of death. Certain organs may not be suitable for donation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. Regardless of your medical history, be sure to register your donation decision and share it with your family.
Myth: If I donate, my healthy organs will probably go to a substance abuser.
The national organ distribution system is designed to prevent donor organs from going to people who actively smoke, use alcohol or abuse illegal drugs. Candidates seeking transplant are screened thoroughly and tested at random times for substance abuse. If pre-transplant tests consistently indicate such abuse, the candidate is promptly taken off the transplant list. Donors can be assured their organs will go to sober people in need.
Myth: Rich and famous people get “first dibs” on donor organs.
The national organ distribution system pays no attention to an individual’s name, celebrity, wealth or social status. Instead, the system distributes organs based on severity of illness, time spent waiting, blood type and other important medical information. So, despite widely publicized media stories about celebrities receiving transplants, the rich and famous have to wait in line for organs just like everyone else.
Myth: If I donate one of my kidneys, I won’t live as long.
Many people are afraid of becoming living kidney donors because they’re scared of being left with one kidney. However, recent studies show that a living kidney donor’s life expectancy is no shorter than anyone else’s. Living donors undergo extensive testing and the best physical of their lives to make sure they are in good shape for a long, healthy life with just one kidney. In fact, those who pass such tests typically rank among the highest percentile of healthy people. And, while it is extremely rare for them to require a kidney transplant because of serious illness or injury, living donors are rewarded for their generosity by automatically being placed at the top of the transplant list for the next available organ should they ever be in need themselves.
Myth: I can’t have an open-casket funeral if I donate my organs.
Organ and tissue donation doesn’t disfigure or affect the appearance of the deceased or rule out an open-casket funeral. The donor’s body is clothed so there are no visible signs that organs or tissues have been removed.
Myth: I’m not the right age for donation.
There’s no defined cutoff age for donating organs and age limits for donation no longer exist. Organs have been successfully transplanted from donors as young as a newborn or well into their 90s. Donor organ suitability is based on strict medical criteria, not age. Some organs, like the liver, age at a slower rate and can be accepted from donors age 80 and beyond. However, if you are under age 18, tell your parents about your wish to donate so they can give consent.
Myth: My family will to have to pay if I donate my organs.
The donor’s family (or their insurance company) is only responsible for paying for medical care up to the point of death. After death, any costs related to organ or tissue donation are covered, leaving no such charges to the donor’s estate or family.
More Information
Hoosiers interested in becoming organ donors can go to the Donate Life Indiana website at www.donatelifeindiana.org.
For more information about IU Health Transplant visit, www.iuhealth.org/transplant or call 1-800-622-4989.
IU Health Transplant offers Medicare-approved kidney, pancreas, liver, intestine, heart, lung and multivisceral (multi-organ) transplants and has some of the shortest wait times and best outcomes in the country.
