I want to share with everyone in my first ever blog entry about organ donation so that everyone will know & understand what it really means to be an organ donor. We can save someones life! I plan to register as a donor & inspire a lot more people to donate their organ as well.
Wikipedia translate organ donation as donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and social history, of which are suitable for transplantation. Such procedures are termed all transplantations, to distinguish them from xenotransplantation.
Hopefully with an information that i shared in this entry, will lead a lot of people to be a donor.
A priceless Gift of Life
It is not easy to decide whether or not to donate the organ of your loved ones. Even the medical practitioners understand the difficulty. So why don’t you pledge as a donor now. Free your loved ones from making the decision for you after your death. Your organ may help change the lives of others who are suffering from organ failure or dysfunctional tissues. Give them the priceless gift of life!
Cadaveric Donation
Cadaveric donation means donation after death. In Malaysia, there are a
lot of deaths caused by accidents and most of the victim’s organs are
still in good condition and are usually suitable for organ
transplantation purposes. If only half of the victims had agreed to
donate their organ, chances to reduce the number of death caused by
organ failure are better and it will shorten the duration of waiting for
an organ transplant. This type of donation doesn’t pose any risk to the
donor and all the organs (if suitable) can be used for transplantation
to save more lives.
A Brain dead donor can donate a lot of organs and tissues to save the lives of many needy patients. Imagine a donor who donates two kidneys can save four lives: two who receives the kidney and two more because now they have a place at the dialysis centre that has been vacated by the two who just received a kidney transplant. When someone donates a heart, lung and liver, three or four more will get a chance to live longer. With eye donation, you can save two blind men with a damaged cornea and a bone donation can improve up to twenty to thirty lives of patients who need a bone graft transfer. Although skin donation is not life saving but it is a life altering moment. The donated skin will be used to replace the damaged skin from burnt patients. It helps with the healing and minimizes the risk of infections.
Anyone who died of cardiac arrest can become a tissue donor. For those who died in the hospital, they can donate all of their organs but those who died at other place other than the hospital can only donate their corneas. For cornea donation, the kin of the deceased can call the nearest government hospital or a toll-free number 1-800-88-9080 (Press 3) to be directly connected to a transplant coordinator. The coordinator will then arrange a procurement team to come to the house to get consent and the donor’s health history from their family. The procurement team will then perform the surgery to attain the cornea there. Anyone can become a tissue donor except those who lived a high-risk lifestyle and those with infectious diseases like HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, etc..
Organ and Tissue That Can Be Donated by Cadaveric Donor That is Brain Dead
A Brain dead donor can donate a lot of organs and tissues to save the lives of many needy patients. Imagine a donor who donates two kidneys can save four lives: two who receives the kidney and two more because now they have a place at the dialysis centre that has been vacated by the two who just received a kidney transplant. When someone donates a heart, lung and liver, three or four more will get a chance to live longer. With eye donation, you can save two blind men with a damaged cornea and a bone donation can improve up to twenty to thirty lives of patients who need a bone graft transfer. Although skin donation is not life saving but it is a life altering moment. The donated skin will be used to replace the damaged skin from burnt patients. It helps with the healing and minimizes the risk of infections.
Tissue Donation from a Cardiac Arrest Donor
Anyone who died of cardiac arrest can become a tissue donor. For those who died in the hospital, they can donate all of their organs but those who died at other place other than the hospital can only donate their corneas. For cornea donation, the kin of the deceased can call the nearest government hospital or a toll-free number 1-800-88-9080 (Press 3) to be directly connected to a transplant coordinator. The coordinator will then arrange a procurement team to come to the house to get consent and the donor’s health history from their family. The procurement team will then perform the surgery to attain the cornea there. Anyone can become a tissue donor except those who lived a high-risk lifestyle and those with infectious diseases like HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, etc..
Living Donation can only be done if it involves only
one kidney or part of the donor’s liver. It is limited to close family
members or those in an emotional relationship (husband and wife) with
the patient because it requires anaesthetic. Although it is a low risks
donation, the donor needs to undergo a series of health tests just to
make sure that the risks are at the very minimum. Tests are also done to
make sure the blood type and the tissue donated are a match. The
donor, although a family member, he/she will have to undergo a
counselling session to make sure that the donor is aware of the risks
and the consequences after the donation, not only looking at the health
factor but also on the socio-economic aspect of it. Anyone wishes to
donate organs should do it voluntarily with no payment involved. Donors
can retract their decisions whenever they wish to. Underage children or
anyone who suffers from mental illnesses are not allowed to donate bone
marrow.
Un-related living donation is not allowed unless the patient who suffering from a fatal organ failure and does not have any family members or cadaveric donor and no alternative treatment available to save the patient’s life. This type of donation is only limited to liver transplantation only. The donor needs to acquire an approval from the UTAC where the committee will evaluate the assessment report submitted by the Donor Advocate panel. The Donor Advocate panel consists of a doctor who is not involved in transplantation, a psychiatrist, and a welfare officer who will assess everything including making sure that the donor is not suffering from mental illnesses and aware of the risks on donor’s health and the socio-economic aspect after donating. It should also be done voluntarily with no money involved. The donor can retract his/her decision to donate at any given time.
Un-related Living Donation
Un-related living donation is not allowed unless the patient who suffering from a fatal organ failure and does not have any family members or cadaveric donor and no alternative treatment available to save the patient’s life. This type of donation is only limited to liver transplantation only. The donor needs to acquire an approval from the UTAC where the committee will evaluate the assessment report submitted by the Donor Advocate panel. The Donor Advocate panel consists of a doctor who is not involved in transplantation, a psychiatrist, and a welfare officer who will assess everything including making sure that the donor is not suffering from mental illnesses and aware of the risks on donor’s health and the socio-economic aspect after donating. It should also be done voluntarily with no money involved. The donor can retract his/her decision to donate at any given time.
Process of organ donation
Donor who died in the hospital
When someone is declared as brain dead it means that they are dead and the death certificate will be issued. Family members will be called to discuss the possibility of organ and tissue donation of the deceased. If the family agrees to donate the tissue and organs, tests will be run to make sure what is still functioning, can be transferred and free from HIV, Hepatitis and Syphilis. Donor will be left on life support until the results of the tests are out and the surgery to procure the organs can be carried out after getting consent from family members. The plug-off of the ventilation machine will be done in front of the family. The surgery will be done in the operating theatre just like live patient and will be treated with respect. Only the surgery scar will be visible. All surgery cut will be sewn carefully and perfectly. Cotton balls will be placed in the eye brackets and it will be sewn just like a normal eye surgery. For bone donation, a fake bone will be replaced in return of the donated bone so there will be no physical deformation can be seen. Procurement process is to be done in three to eight hours depending on the numbers of tissue and organ that need to be removed form the donor. After the procurement process is complete, the corpse will be return in its best condition possible to the family at the hospital’s mortuary. If there’s any post mortem needed, this medico legal process will be rushed.
For those who died a natural death, only tissue can be donated like the eye corneas, heart valve, bone and skin. After getting a written consent from the family, the procurement process will still take place in the surgery room just like any other live patient surgery and it will still be treated with respect. Tissue can last long without oxygen and the transplant can be done up to 12 hours for eyes cornea and 24 hours for heart valve, skin and bone after the death of the donor.
For tissue donation, the family will be interviewed on donor’s health history and the background of donor’s infection risk to make sure that the donors are free from any infectious diseases. Blood tests will be conducted for this reason as well.
Donor that died at home
Those who died the naturally at home can only donate eye’s cornea. It can be procured up to six hours after the donor has been dead. For this reason please contact the nearest hospital or call the National Transplant Resource Centre at a Toll free number 1-800-88-9080 (Press 3) like printed at the back of donor’s card, for those who are registered as a donor. The number will directly connected to a transplant coordinator who will coordinate a team to go to the deceased house, get consent from the family and perform the procurement surgery there. The procurement team will also ask the family members regarding the deceased medical history and background of infection risks. The eye cornea procurement process usually takes less than an hour to be completed. It will be conducted in the most respect way to the deceased and won’t affect the physic of the corpse.
Islam’s Perspective Towards Organ Donation and Transplant
Organ transplant is a treatment that wasn’t mentioned specifically in
the Holy Quran or by the Prophet Muhammad’s Sunna. This method of
treatment is a relatively new advancement in the field of medicine.
One of the Maqassid al-Syariah (purpose of syariah) is persevering life.
The principles followed in formulating the decree for organ transplant
includes necessity overriding prohibition, choosing a path with the
least harm/negative impact and making an effort to treat every sickness.
In Malaysia, the decree on organ donation and transplantation has been
declared since June 1970.
In Islam, organ transplant is permissible as long as that it is the last resort and there is no other alternative in saving a patient’s life. This type of treatment is permitted if both the donor (in live donation) and the recipient are not facing with any untoward harm because of the procedures involved. The donation has to be made sincerely and not because of monetary payment or rewards, nor to gain popularity or glamour. Organ donation must also receive a donor’s consent and must not be forced upon.
In Islam, organ transplant is permissible as long as that it is the last resort and there is no other alternative in saving a patient’s life. This type of treatment is permitted if both the donor (in live donation) and the recipient are not facing with any untoward harm because of the procedures involved. The donation has to be made sincerely and not because of monetary payment or rewards, nor to gain popularity or glamour. Organ donation must also receive a donor’s consent and must not be forced upon.
You can download and print the Donor Pledger Form <<here>>.Fill
in all the required information and chose the tissue or organ that you
wish to donate. Write in the name of your next of kin and sign the form.
Completed forms can be sent to National Transplant Resource Centre at:
Pusat Sumber Transplant Nasional
Hospital Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Pahang
50586 Kuala Lumpur
Fax: 03-2615 6269
You can also call us using the toll free number 1-800-88-9080 to acquire the registration form. A donor card will be sent to you and you are required to fill in and sign the card. This card must be kept together with your Identification Card (I/C) at all time.
Registering, as a pledger does not require any payment or medical/health check-ups.
Pusat Sumber Transplant NasionalHospital Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Pahang
50586 Kuala Lumpur
Fax: 03-2615 6269
You can also call us using the toll free number 1-800-88-9080 to acquire the registration form. A donor card will be sent to you and you are required to fill in and sign the card. This card must be kept together with your Identification Card (I/C) at all time.
Tell your family about your decision to be a registered pledger so that your wish of donating your organ will be fulfilled. This will also make it easier for your family to allow your organ to be donated when and if the time comes.Children under the age of 18 must acquire parents or guardian’s consent before registering as a pledger.
Registering, as a pledger does not require any payment or medical/health check-ups.
