About SIUTDeceased Donor Program

What is deceased organ donation?

Deceased organ donation means acquiring organs from a person after death to be transplanted into other persons who are dying from organ failure, in order to save their lives.

It is an established medical procedure and is considered as an act of profound generosity. It is a donation of life to those for whom the only alternative is dying from organ failure.

Why is deceased organ donation needed?

All over the world thousands of people suffering from organ failure die each year waiting for a donated organ. The living organ donation program, despite advancements, has failed to cope with this enormous burden. Globally the increase in transplant activity has only been possible due to increasing numbers of deceased organ donations.

The exact figure for Pakistan is not available but according to a conservative estimate more than 50,000 people die each year due to end stage organ failure. This figure includes 15,000 people with kidney failure, 10,000 with liver failure and 6500 with heart failure. Majority of these patients can be saved if organs are available for transplantation.

Who can donate?

Anyone can become an organ donor.

The first step is to make a will and fill a donor card. It is very important to make this will known to near and dear ones.

Having made this will though, only one person among a hundred people will be lucky enough to become a donor. Why is that the case?

Well if someone dies a natural death at home, their organs cannot be saved. The blood clots immediately after death, making it impossible to use their organs for transplant.

On the other end if someone fatefully meets a serious accident, is taken to a hospital and put on a ventilator for artificial breathing and dies later while still on a ventilator, that persons organ may be saved and transplanted to save the lives of several people.

What is brain death?

When part of the brain responsible for control of breathing stops functioning, heart beat stops permanently, that person dies. This is called brain death.

If at the time of brain death the patient is on a ventilator their heart beat and breathing may be maintained artificially for some time. If this deceased person has willed in life to be an organ donor, this window provides a possibility in this hour of despair. His organs may be saved and transplanted into several patients with organ failure.

This donor may thus gift life to so many others.

Which organs may be donated?

Organs that can be donated include kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, pancreas and intestine.

Some tissues that may also be donated include corneas, skin, bone, bone marrow among others.