Organ and tissue donation

Through the miracle of transplantation, many of our friends, neighbors, and family are living healthy, productive lives. However, the need for donated organs and tissues continues to outpace the supply. Right now, there are thousands of people who could be helped if more of us were to become organ and tissue donors. Organ and tissue donations provide each of us with a special opportunity to help others.

Health First is proud that Holmes Regional Medical Center and Cape Canaveral Hospital each received the Hospital of the Year Award from the University of Florida for tissue and organ donations. That distinction is in large part due to the efforts of Health First’s Tiger Team, an group of healthcare associates dedicated to educating the community, promoting awareness and encouraging registration for organ/tissue donation.

There’s no greater gift than the gift of life, and through the donation of vital organs and tissues, each one of us has the power to save lives when no other hope is available.

• Frequently asked questions
• Organ and tissue recovery centers
• More information
• Tiger Team

Frequently asked questions

The following is based on information from the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Q. How serious is the organ shortage?
A. Approximately 82,000 Americans are waiting to receive lifesaving organ transplants. A new name is added to the national waiting list every 16 minutes. Unfortunately, 13 people die each day waiting for an organ. In Florida, there are now thousands more people needing tissues and organs than there are donors to provide them. Current data

Q. How do I become an organ donor?
A. Tell your family your wishes, and fill out an organ/tissue donor registration form. Send your completed form to AHCA at 2727 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32308, or your nearest driver’s license office. Remember that your driver’s license or an organ donation card is a legal document of your wishes. However, it is still important to discuss your wishes with your family.

Q. What organs and tissues are needed for donation?
A. Organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and small intestines, and tissues such as skin, bones, and eyes are needed for donation. Umbilical cord blood, placenta and bone marrow are additional tissues needed for donation. One organ donor can save the lives of eight people and enhance the lives of 50 to 100 more.

Q. How successful are transplants?
A. More than 19,000 organ transplants are performed in the United States every year. Transplants have become a successful form of treatment for end-stage organ disease. Three-year patient success rates are estimated at 95 percent for kidney transplants, 92 percent for pancreas, 91 percent for heart transplants, 90 percent for liver transplants, 81 percent for heart-lung transplants, and 76 percent for lung transplants.

Q. Why is it important for more African Americans and Native Americans to become organ donors?
A. Matching organs between members of the same ethnic or racial group often enhances the success of kidney transplantation. Approximately one-third of the individuals waiting for kidney transplants are African-American. Why? African Americans are 17 times more likely than Caucasians to develop hypertension, which can lead to eventual kidney failure. Also, a higher incidence of hypertension and diabetes among Native Americans increases the risk of kidney failure for this segment of the population, too.

Q. What are the benefits of organ donation?
A. Families who decide to donate often find that it helps them through their grieving process. They receive great comfort from being able to have something positive come from the death of a loved one. For recipients, organ transplants offer a second chance at life, enabling them and their families to maintain a more normal, higher quality of life.

Q. Can anyone become an organ donor?
A. Anyone can be an organ and tissue donor regardless of age or previous illness. The acceptability of the donation is determined at the time of the donor's death.

Q. What can I do if a member of my family becomes a potential organ donor?
A. If no one on the medical team suggests organ donation, you, as the next-of-kin, should inform the medical staff of your and your loved ones wishes. Organs will be removed if they are made aware your loved one had a donor card, or if there is written permission from the family.

Q. Who is considered my next-of-kin?
A. The following prioritized list determines who can give permission for donation: spouse, adult son or daughter, either parent, adult brother or sister, grandparent, or legal guardian.

Q. Will there ever be a choice between saving my life and using my tissues and organs for transplantation?
A. No. Donation occurs only after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared.

Q. Who will receive my vital organs and tissues?
A. Vital organs are given to people who urgently need them. Blood type, tissue types, and body size determine who will receive the donation.

Q. Can I specify who will get my organs and tissues?
A. Yes. You can leave your organs and tissues to specific people (if they meet medical criteria), but you may not leave organs and tissues to a specific race, creed, religion, etc.

Q. Can I change my mind later?
A. Yes. Simply tell your nearest relative or legal guardian and have your driver's license changed at the nearest Florida driver’s license office.

Q. Is there any cost if I decide to become a tissue and organ donor?
A. No. There is absolutely no cost to you or your family if you become a tissue/organ donor.

Q. Can I limit the tissues and organs I donate?
A. Yes. Simply write in which tissues and organs you wish to donate on the registration form.

Q. Can people under the age of 18 be donors?
A. Yes, but your custodial parent or legal guardian must sign as a witness on the registration form and give consent at the time of death.

Q. Will tissue and organ donation affect funeral arrangements?
A. No. Removal of tissues or organs will not interfere with customary funeral arrangements.

Q. What are the criteria for becoming an organ donor?
A. Organs can be donated only after a person has been declared brain dead and while their vital organs are being maintained on a breathing machine. Age criteria is evaluated on an individual basis. Under specific conditions a patient who does not meet brain death criteria that is being withdrawn from life support may be considered suitable for kidney and liver donation. This type of donation is called "non-heart beating donation

Q. Should my age or health condition influence my decision to become an organ donor?
A. No. While medical history and age are factors, most people CAN donate. People with diabetes, hepatitis, and cancer sometimes CAN donate their organs. The only individuals who cannot donate are those who test positive for the HIV virus.

Q. Is there a main registry for organ donors?
A. No. There is no official organ donor registry. Although there are a few "registries" in existence in the United States, these are utilized as tools to promote donation awareness. Organ recovery agencies have computer access to the DMV and certain other registries. However, patients awaiting organ transplants do have a main registry to assist with organ distribution process.

Q. How are organs distributed to patients waiting for organ transplants?
A. Every person waiting for an organ transplant is registered with UNOS, the United Network for Organ Sharing. UNOS manages the computerized network to match organ donors with waiting recipients. Medical information about the organ donor is input into a computer database that creates a match list of potential recipients. Matching is based solely upon medical criteria such as blood type, weight, size of the organ, length of time waiting for a transplant, and severity of the illness. Genetic (tissue) matching is also a key factor for kidney and pancreas transplants.

Q. Can human organs be bought or sold in the United States?
A. No. According to the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 1968, human organ cannot be bought or sold. In addition, a national governing body reviews every organ donation and transplant. This prevents any type of human organ "black market" from operating in the United States.

Q. Do any organs go to waste?
A. No. Donated organs are "matched" with transplant recipients before they are removed for transplant. Extensive tests before surgery determine which organs can be recovered, however, physicians can't always tell if the organ is suitable until surgery takes place. If the organ is unsuitable for transplantation at the time of the donation, the organ is not recovered from the donor.

Q. Are organs used for research?
A. Yes. If an organ cannot be used for transplantation, it may be useful for research. Research often helps the medical community in its effort to find cures for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Written permission from the next-of-kin must be obtained for research.

Q. How do family members respond when the possibility of organ donation is discussed at the time of a loved one's death?
A. Grief-stricken family members have often said their sorrow has been eased by the knowledge that their personal tragedy gave new life to another person, and that it provided some meaning to an otherwise senseless death. Many more families today are raising the issue of organ donation themselves because they are aware of its lifesaving value.

Q. What is "brain death"?
A. "Brain death" is death. It occurs when the brain and the brain stem stop functioning. The brain is an organ like all the other organs in the body. It requires a steady blood supply to deliver the oxygen and nutrients it needs to do its work. When the brain cells do not receive enough oxygen or nutrients, they die. Once the brain cells die, there is no chance for recovery. A person can only become an organ donor if he or she dies from a brain death injury (for example, trauma to the head from a bike or motor vehicle accident, a ruptured blood vessel in the brain, or drowning).

Cardiac death is different than brain death. Cardiac death happens when the heart and lungs stop functioning. People who die from cardiac death cannot donate their organs except under specific conditions because a lack of oxygen has caused their organs to deteriorate. However, eye and tissue donation are options.

Q. Is brain death the same as a coma or vegetative state?
A. No. A person in a coma or vegetative state still has some brain activity and, therefore, has not died.

Q. Why must artificial life support continue after brain death has been determined?
A. The respirator or breathing machine provides oxygen to the organs, keeping them healthy until they are removed for transplant.

Q. How long can organs be preserved for transplantation after their removal?
A. Once the organs have been removed, they are cooled and preserved. Organs can be preserved for varying amounts of time: hearts and lungs — 6 hours; liver, pancreas, and intestines — 24 hours; and kidney — 48 hours.

Organ and tissue recovery centers

More specific information may be obtained from the Organ and Tissue Centers nearest you.

For more information

Visit Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration or the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for more information.