are you kept alive to donate organs?
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The Living Donation Process While most organ and tissue donations occur after the donor has died, some organs (including a kidney or part of a liver or lung) and tissues can be donated while the donor is alive.
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One person can save eight lives and enhance 75 others through organ, eye and tissue donation. Nearly 114,000 Americans are currently waiting for an organ transplant, nearly 22,000 live in California. An organ transplant is their only remaining medical option.
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The livers of both the donor and recipient grow back to full size approximately three months after the surgery. There is no financial or medical benefit to donating a kidney or part of your liver, but helping another person live can be a very rewarding experience.
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Theoretically, a person with advanced organ failure could be given a new and functional body while keeping their own personality, memories, and consciousness through such a procedure. No human brain transplant has ever been conducted.
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A small percentage of liver transplants are completed each year using a portion of a healthy liver from a living donor. Living donation is possible because the liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself. An adult may be able to donate a portion of their liver to a child or another adult.
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While most organ and tissue donations occur after the donor has died, some organs (including a kidney or part of a liver or lung) and tissues can be donated while the donor is alive. There are about as many living donors every year as there are deceased donors.
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Liver transplant survival rates Your chances of a successful liver transplant and long-term survival depend on your particular situation. In general, about 75% of people who undergo liver transplant live for at least five years.
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Approximately 10% of deceased donor kidneys are considered "high-risk" for infection (HIV, HCV, HBV) and disease transmission according to criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But new research suggests that many of these organs are safe and therefore should not be labeled as high-risk.
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Being a living kidney donor If you have two healthy kidneys, you may be able to donate one of your kidneys to enhance or save someone else's life. Both you and the recipient of your kidney (the person who got your kidney) can live with just one healthy kidney.
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Anyone, regardless of age, health or sexual orientation, can be considered as a potential donor upon their death. The health of the organs rather than the age of the individual will determine whether the organs can be transplanted.
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Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or organs may be transported from a donor site to another location.
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As a result, the average life expectancy for a patient on dialysis is generally five years. On the other hand, patients who receive a kidney transplant typically live longer than those who stay on dialysis. A living donor kidney functions, on average, 12 to 20 years, and a deceased donor kidney from 8 to 12 years.
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By donating your organs and tissue after you die, you can save or improve as many as 75 lives. Many families say that knowing their loved one helped save or improve other lives helped them cope with their loss. It's especially important to consider becoming an organ donor if you belong to an ethnic minority.
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Simply sign a Uniform Donor Card. It is a legal document under state law through which you can express your wishes about donating organs and tissues. You may obtain a card at your local National Kidney Foundation affiliate. Carry the card with you at all times.
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Like any surgery, the procedure does have some risks. But overall, living kidney donation is safe. In most cases, donating a kidney will not not raise your risk of kidney disease, diabetes, or other health problems. You don't have to be related to someone to donate a kidney to them.
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It is still possible to become an organ donor if you smoke. Specialist healthcare professionals decide in each individual case whether a person's organs and tissue are suitable for donation, and smokers and people with other other health conditions have saved - and continue to save - lives through organ donation.
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How long does a transplanted kidney last? On average, a kidney from a living donor lasts about 15 to 20 years. Some will last longer; others might last less.