immune disorders
Overview of Transplantation
Transplant Donors
A tissue or organ donor can be A living person—related to the recipient or not A person who has recently died (deceased donor) Tissues and organs from living donors are preferable because they are usually healthier. Stem cells (from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, or blood from a vein) and kidneys are the tissues most often donated by living donors. Usually, a kidney can be safely donated because the body has two kidneys and can function well with only one. Living donors can also donate only a part of the liver or a lung or a pancreas. Organs from living donors are usually transplanted within minutes of being removed. In the United States, being paid to donate an organ is illegal, but reimbursement for cells and tissues is allowed. Some organs, such as the heart, obviously cannot be taken from living donors. Organs from deceased donors usually come from people who previously agreed to donate organs. In many states, people can indicate their willingness to donate organs on their driver’s license, although family members are also consulted even when donor status is indicated on the license. Permission for donation also may be obtained from the deceased’s closest family member when the deceased’s wishes are unknown. Deceased donors can be otherwise healthy people who have been in a major accident, as well as those who died of a medical disorder that does not affect the organ being donated. Doctors do not take the potential for organ donation into account when deciding whether to recommend withdrawal of life support from people who are terminally ill or who are Brain Death . One deceased donor can provide several people with transplants. For example, one donor could provide two corneas, a pancreas, two kidneys, two liver segments, two lungs, a small intestine, and a heart. When people die, organs deteriorate quickly. Some organs last only a few hours outside the body. Other organs, if kept cold, can last a few days. One deceased donor can provide two corneas, a pancreas, two kidneys, two liver segments, a small intestine, two lungs, and a heart. 