[Closed] organ donation - are you registered?

They can have everything but my eyes.

Donate my organs?!?! Over my dead body!

I'm not sure if it's been changed but it used to be that regardless of being registered or not they still have to ask your next of kin if they can use your organs for transplant.

I am registered and all my family understand that I wish to donate any/all of my organs in the event of them being useful to someone after my death , after all I won't need them anymore and if they can give another person the chance of a better life why not?

Yes.

I have also been at the sharp end of losing a close relative in tragic circs and going through the discussions with the family , some of whom didnt want to donate her organs even though she was registered.

The question is - would you take an organ if you needed it? If it is yes you should register.

And yes they do have to get consent of next of kin before donation as i found out last year

Yep,no reason not to far as I can see. As has been said they'll be no use to me and I think if they're all usable then you could change over 20 peoples lives when you're done. Just make sure you inform your next of kin.

[b]DONOR!!!![/b]

ffs 😡

Me? With my non helmet wearing? Of course I am. 🙂

There are some ungrateful people out there!

I regularly offer to donate one of my organs to young ladies in the pub but their lack of gratitude is apalling! 🙄

Can have what they want then chuck the rest as far as I'm concerned.

I want to put my organ in cider

Everything including my eyes. Anything else is just sentimentality. Having said that though, I'm not sure I'd be in favour of compulsory donation.

I'm an Organ Donna.

In the event of my death, the local kebab shop may harvest my organs, to be ground up for a new "elephant leg". Though I have ticked the "No Salad" option.

I heard that in order to recycle some of your organs they have to harvest them before you're actually dead.

Yeah.

Been registered since I was 16. The way I see it, when I pop my clogs there are 3 possible outcomes for my organs:

1. Worm food
2. BBQ
3. Helping someone else live/have a better quality of life.

It never seemed like a difficult decision for me.

I think the main concerns for those who dont are:

Religion
Distress to others in family
Organs going to murderers etc
Doctors putting in less effort to save you (from a coma etc) if they think that you can help the sprog in the next ward etc.

I'm sure different people put them in different orders.

I'm in favour of an opt-out system, it makes far more sense. If you're that attached to your organs you should carry something to say so, otherwise you help others.

I'm not registered, but my family know I would donate - I wonder how that works if the time came? Do they ask anyway?

I regularly offer to donate one of my organs to young ladies in the pub but their lack of gratitude is apalling!

I guess they're after an organ that will actually imporve their quality of life. 😆

Im registered too, I see it as they are no use to me when im gone so they might as well help someone. Also registered as a bone marrow donar too.

bone marrow [b]donar[/b]

ooh thanks for reminding me.

[url] https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/RegistrationForm.do [/url]

edit: Blimey, that was easy and quick. Go on people, do it. You won't need your bits once you're dead. Neither will your family so give 'em a kicking and make sure they know what you want. Tie it into your will if you think any of them will go religious on you and try and stop the process.

Yup, no reason not to.

coffeeking - get signed up, much less hassle all round if you do. Time's of the essence with organ donation, and if you're not registered, your family can object and the donation won't happen.

"Doctors putting in less effort to save you (from a coma etc) if they think that you can help the sprog in the next ward etc"

utter shite, theres more to it than whipping yours out and puting it in the guy next door. that's an insult to my profession
In brain death brainstem testing has to be carried out before organ donation can proceed, and the family can always ask for 3rd and 4th testing etc.

nick - sure it's an insult, but you can't blame people for thinking it. And brainstem testing only really factors in at the end, if you're noted as a donor beforehand people may fear less effort would be put in to prevent you from getting to a brain dead situation. I'm well aware there's more to it than that, but these are the genuine fears of people I've spoken to about it. I blame Holby! 😀

Time's of the essence with organ donation, and if you're not registered, your family can object and the donation won't happen.

Though they can object anyway (which seems very wrong).

[i]"Doctors putting in less effort to save you (from a coma etc) if they think that you can help the sprog in the next ward etc"[/i]

Even if it were true, is it such a terrible thing?

They can have everything but my eyes.

I am registered (plastic card only - must do it online too) and all my family know of my wishes. Medical science is welcome to anything they find useful.

EDIT: Registered online - that was so easy.

(Waits for the knock on the door 'we've come for your kidney' - a la Monty Python). 🙂

Donor card since 13 (still have it somewhere, don't feel the need to carry it), and ticked the box to be put on the register when I got my provisional licence at 17.

Next of kin all know my wishes too - I really won't care what happens to my body after I'm dead so any benefit it can bring is a good thing.

[i]"Doctors putting in less effort to save you (from a coma etc) if they think that you can help the sprog in the next ward etc"[/i]

I'm offended by this too.

Organ donation goes ahead in two circumstances;

1. Heart beating donation; this is when you have been declared brain-dead by two seperate brain-stem death tests. Just to spell this out a bit more; that's when your brain no longer works to control your basic body functions like breathing. Causes of this state can be massive head trauma or major cerebral bleeding.

In other words, you are dead, but your heart is still pumping blood around your body.

2. Non-heart beating donation; this is rather newer, but essentially involves waiting for you to die, then taking you to theatre quickly to allow organ donation.

In neither case is there any attempt made to 'hurry things along', and no attempt made to provide less care because you may be a potential donor.

In many ways, it's far easier for everyone if you are not a donor; it's a major undertaking, and a difficult, stressful ballache to go through the whole setup, but it's worth it because it helps to [b][u]save other peoples lives.[/u][/b]

Yeah, I'm registered. And I've mentioned it to Mrs PP too. SOmthing along the lines of "If they can use any of me after I'm dead and you don't let them, I'm coming back to haunt you." 🙂

ck - they can still object, but "legally" your organs can still be taken (if you've registered).

[i]ck - they can still object, but "legally" your organs can still be taken (if you've registered). [/i]

In practice this never actually happens; the key point in organ donation is gaining permission from the next of kin, and that's the bit that has to be done carefully, compassionately and sensibly.

Even if it were true, is it such a terrible thing?

Yes, unless you're going to start deciding who is more worthy.

In neither case is there any attempt made to 'hurry things along', and no attempt made to provide less care because you may be a potential donor.

Of course not, and I'd hope not! But then you're going to say that. (playing devils advocate, I'm on your side really).

But you really shouldn't be offended/insulted I suppose, you'd be prioritising the use of the organs - person A is dying and unlikely to survive, person B needs it and has a good chance of survival - makes sense to prioritise those who have more hope. But maybe not a moral judgement. Medical docs fall into a strange quandry of needing to follow logic and probabilities but also having to account for everyones right to a chance to pull through.

I know crikey, hence the "". I just think it's better to be signed up, and make it absolutely clear to your NOK that it's what you want.

[i]Medical docs fall into a strange quandry of needing to follow logic and probabilities but also having to account for everyones right to a chance to pull through[/i]

This is one of the reasons that the care of potential donors and the actual donation/transplant are totally seperate.

The care of the patient in hospital is done by the hospital team. If the condition of the patient is such that organ donation may be a possible outcome, we call in the transplant co-ordinator; a seperate person from outside the hospital.

Once brain stem testing is done, and this would be done anyway, regardless of the donation issue, then the transplant team become involved, but ONLY WITH THE CONSENT OF THE NEXT-OF-KIN.

This means that there is less likelyhood of any conflict of interest, and should help to reduce the fear of one team killing folk off to get to their organs.

If you have an organ donation you CANNOT give blood or donate your own organs. I used to be a registered Donor and give blood up until the point of my transplant.
To the person I will never know I thank you for your gift.

But I want to be a zombie when I'm dead. Always wanted to get a job as an extra on one of those undead movies. 🙂

...further reassurance; there is no financial or other inducement or bonus given to any hospital ward or organisation resulting from organ donation.

Nothing.

There is a move towards paying hospitals for the staff time involved in the donation procedure, but this is only a way of covering the cost of the time taken up when we get involved in a donation. It is not an actual payment that ends up in anyones pocket.

I would quite happily be a beating heart donor. I have no issue with that whatsoever.

My girlfriends nephew wanted to be a donor. he had a massive cerebral haemorrhage and was brain dead on a ventilator at the age of 35.

After discussions with the family and brain death proven his ventilator was turned off. It took 16 hrs for his heart to stop beating - by which time the transplant team where no longer there and the organs were ruined and wasted.

It would have been much better if he had been taken as a beating heart donor.

The human body is worth lots of cash.

The obvious solution is to allow people to (pre)sell their body leaving the cash in their will or allowing the next-of-kin to sell the parts.

Hmmmm. Except that a proportion of donation procedures don't result in actual transplants for a variety of reasons.
Just because you donate doesn't mean you become a donor.

That's why we need to increase the number of donors; to increase the chances of a successful transplant.

Not registered as I didn't think it made a difference.

Everyone knows that they can have any part of me they want. I would prefer they waited until I was neary dead before taking the life affcting ones though.

Can someone give me the correct answer about registering - does it matter or is it still down to my traumatised wife to make the decision after I have done my nextr bit of electricing?

After discussions with the family and brain death proven his ventilator was turned off. It took 16 hrs for his heart to stop beating - by which time the transplant team where no longer there and the organs were ruined and wasted.

Forgive my lack of knowledge on the subject, but I was under the impression that brain death (tested by the brainstem tests) was effectively the point at which the body could not support itself (i.e. things like breathing would stop immediately as the ventillator was doing it for him). Suggesting the body lived on for 16 hours may suggest he was not brain dead, unless it is the case where some sections can die off and others remain active, in which case how is that identified and at what point does the person get classified as no longer a living person? If the brainstem tests are there to prove the person is no longer functioning, how does a person continue to function (even badly) for 16 hours?

TJ, yes, non-beating heart donation is difficult and less effective, but until the number of donors goes up, it's one way of increasing the rate of donation.

tandem jeremy you are absolutely right

My sis inlaw had a brain haemorrhage during childbirth but her organs were donated to at least 6-7 people

from what i recall lungs went to a cystic fibrosis kid, liver to a woman in scotland, 2 kidney recipients, Heart valves taken also, and skin taken for burns victims.

i think that's a pretty amazing outcome for such a tragedy up to 6 lives transformed.

and the transplant coordinating nurse was amazing. That has got to be one of the toughest jobs- approaching bereft families re organ donation. I recall how hard it was to broach in A+E from time to time. essentially her job is moving from tragedy to tragedy for the good of others.

Not registered as I didn't think it made a difference.

Everyone knows that they can have any part of me they want. I would prefer they waited until I was neary dead before taking the life affcting ones though.

Can someone give me the correct answer about registering - does it matter or is it still down to my traumatised wife to make the decision after I have done my nextr bit of electricing?

[i]If the brainstem tests are there to prove the person is no longer functioning, how does a person continue to function (even badly) for 16 hours?[/i]

Your heart will continue to beat for a time after brain stem death. Legally, after you have had brain stem tests that show brain stem death, you are considered dead, despite your heart beating.

That's how most donation is done; you are dead, but your heart is still capable of perfusing most of your organs.

Non beating heart donation is sub-optimal in that we wait for the heart to stop, then go ahead, but this is logistically difficult; we know that the heart will stop sooner or later, but we cannot afford to have a transplant team sitting and waiting for potentially a long time.

Our transplant co-ordinator nurse is great; I think I'm good at talking to people, but she puts me to shame.

(and, many years ago, I saw her with nothing on.... close up.... 🙂 )

So the heart can keep beating but without a ventilator and with brainstem death how does this happen for more than a few minutes? Lack of oxygen would surely bring the whole lot to a halt, at least after an hour or so? 16 hours seems like a long time for a heart to keep beating on its own with no oxy supply, and then why dont the hearts of people who've died of other causes (such as drowning) keep beating for hours also despite no lung action occuring? (genuine question, very interesting).

World class accident

this is what happens. Once brain death is declared, if you are on the register then your next of kin would be approached regarding organ donation as you were on the register. If the NOK is in disagreement they dont overule their wishes.

then tissue typing and donor matching is done before organ harvest and transplant procedures.

Our transplant co-ordinator nurse is great; I think I'm good at talking to people, but she puts me to shame.

(and, many years ago, I saw her with nothing on.... close up.... )

Did you lend her your organ while you were at it!( vice versa is you are a woman crikey)

BTW where are you based- personal interest re above

Doc - Won't they ask the NOK for my organs anyway?

I think in TJs case the patient must have been still on a ventilator; brain stem tests that reveal brain stem death test for any kind of respiratory drive, the absence of which is one sign of BSdeath.

Sometimes it's a kind of compromise; maybe the family were not in agreement about turning off the ventilator, maybe other family members were travelling to see the patient.

Ultimately, and going back to the concerns expressed, we wouldn't get into any kind of conflict over the death/donation situation; the patient and family come first regardless of any need for organs.

Yes but families are more likely to aggree to donate when they know it was the wish of deceased.

it's a difficult call to make, when linds died and despite us knowing that she was on the register and there being 2 docs there too- me and my wife- my mother in law initially didnt want her organs taken and understandibly her husbands head was in the shed and he didnt know what to do. Sarah and I were both very pro going with Linds' wishes which is what eventually what swung the decision. the right one.

[i]BTW where are you based- personal interest re above[/i]

I can't tell you now I've admitted to naughtiness with the transplant co-ordinator!

East Manchesterish....

On a slightly lighter note - Why don't they just post the question on STW?

We know all the answers.

Post : WCA Dead - Shall we slice and dice him or not?
He has finally died. Do we use the bits left over or toss it into the bin?

Can you imagine the postings on that thread?

don't worry crikey I'm in Wales!

I was wondering if you were in Brum

I wasn't there so I might not have the whole story but as it was told to me the vent was turned off, he was brain dead but the heart did not stop beating for 16 hrs. Perhaps tho it was all other support was removed but he was kept on the ventilator.

All I know is it was awfuly traumatic for the family and his organs were wasted. His organs could have been harvested earlier and it would have been better for his family and the recipients - who ended up with nothing

WCA - given your accident history are any of the bits worth having?

TJ - I have lived this long so you will probably find I have Super Organs. The heart that thrives on 240V shock. The liver that actually needs feeding alcohol on a regular basis. The kidey that do whatr ever the normal kidney does but with more style and faster...

...and just out of 'No way!' kind of interest, I got talking to another recipient transplant nurse ( I wasn't trying to see her close up or naked this time) and she was describing some new technology which allows suboptimal lungs and other organs to be perfused in a kind of Frankenstein stuff-in-a-jar style before being transplanted. The technology is getting better and better, we just need to get people into the idea that donation is a good thing.

I'm still confused regarding this. I'm not allowed to donate blood because I'm in a high-risk group yet they still want my organs.

Surely since they'll be full of blood etc. *and* they need the organs as quickly as possible they shouldn't really want them?

Until this dichotomy is resolved the answer is 'no'. If it is then I'll sign up.

Adam, they will tissue type and test your organs/blood for a variety of diseases before transplant.

They would have to test you and/or your blood everytime you donated it; that's why they're not keen.

I think that the US is doing or at least looking at transplants from HIV donors to HIV recipients, again, the technology is ahead of attitudes...

(I'm making an assumption about the reason you are considered high risk by the transfusion service, which which might be way out of line..)

Hmmm crikey sounds like an intensivist!! 😉

Hi Crikey

No, you're right. Just being gay means you can't donate blood.

You've sort of cleared it up for me - I suppose if something happened to me they could keep my body going while they did tests etc. and gave the thumbs up.

Right, money where mouth is, I'll sign up.

Good call adam

and heres a link to help you along!

http://www.uktransplant.org.uk/ukt/how_to_become_a_donor/how_to_become_a_donor.jsp

I wonder how many new donor registration this thread has prompted?

+1 for me

STW - a power for social good

I'm not an intensivist, just an ITU nurse for about a thousand years. I'm getting more interested in the transplant service though, and not just because one of them once accomodated me for an evening....

One of the main factors in my promotion of organ donation has been my contact with relatives of donors and transplant recipients themselves. They have a passion for the idea of organ donation that burns fiercely, and what they do in terms of agreeing to donation or working to promote transplantation after recieving organs makes me feel very humble indeed.

It really does make a difference, it really does save people from a miserable shortened life and from an untimely death.

Well working in ITU puts you in an ideal position to follow this through crikey. You deal tragedies all the time in itu so you must have the right experience for the job. The nurse in neuro ITU in Brum was amazing as well as the transplant nurse. I'd say a thousand years in itu probably makes you an intensivist!

I seconf your thoughts re organ donation. better off being used than burnt or buried in the ground IMO.

Haven't yet - would accept donated organs therefore should do.

I particularly like old git surreys attempts at donating to young ladies in the local, could be the start of a failed chat up line!

I signed up years ago, but for the same reasons as Junkyard I eventually will not be able to donate. I have been waiting for a new filter (kidney) for 2 years now. I have had just 2 people get tested to be live donors so I will have to wait for some other poor bugger to check out before I can get one. In some ways that day cannot come quick enough but in others I am dreading it:

a- not sure how I will get my head around have a deceased persons kidney in me.
b- it WILL hurt - already had one op and my first words when coming round were OWWWWWW!!!

a couple of links provided below for info:

[url= http://www.pkdcharity.co.uk/ ]My condition[/url]

[url= http://www.uktransplant.org.uk/ukt/about_transplants/about_transplants.jsp ]UK Transplant site[/url]

This seems to be something people always never get round to doing despite best intentions, so sign up if you are willing - it only takes a minute.

How does organ donation work if you want to top yourself? I reckon organs go a bit 'mushy peas' at the bottom of a cliff so they're no use to anyone then.

Can you walk into a hospital and get them to do it for you and in return they can have yer carefully cultivated internal groupset?

Mr sensitive there, I do wonder sometimes....

bananaworld- go to switzerland and pop to dignatas. I'm sure they'll do it for you. Please go.

Nice one DoctorNick 😀

In some ways though, bananaworld is on the right lines...

It should be something we accept and are able to joke about, even in a tasteless fashion, rather than being a taboo subject that only gets raised in the most dismal situations...

I'm trying to find out some info regarding the most number of times a single kidney has been transplanted; I think it's a number more than one...

I wonder how many new donor registration this thread has prompted?

A few, I reckon. Yours truly signed up following a similar thread a few moths ago.....

Also, just had a text - how very Now - to remind me to go give blood next week....

...There's not much info on the web, but it's definitely the case that you can go on to donate the kidney or other organ that you had donated to you, to go on to help someone else.

Which is pretty amazing really...

doctornickriviera - Member
go to switzerland and pop to dignatas.

I've wondered about that actually, but I think they'll only 'do' you if you have some chronic physical ailment. Mere mental disorders are outside their remit, which, for me personally, is a shame.

My kidenys, heart, liver, etc. are in great shape and I'd love them to go to someone who will enjoy life rather than just plodding along like me.

[i]My kidenys, heart, liver, etc. are in great shape and I'd love them to go to someone who will enjoy life rather than just plodding along like me. [/i]

Which is a noble sentiment.. But I'd rather you used them for a while longer, maybe put a few miles on the clock as it were... 😉

Slice and dice me when I go - if I can help someone else then do it.

Why wouldn't you want them to have your eyes?