Living Donation: Points to Consider
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1. You are a healthy person WHO DOES NOT NEED TO UNDERGO SURGERY.
2. You become a patient when you enter the Operating Room.
3. Yes, you will have a scar. (Size will vary).
4. Yes, you will have pain after surgery. (Amount and duration will vary).
5. There is NO ethical obligation to be an organ donor, even if you are a genetic relative. Organ donation is a voluntary procedure and the motivation should be altrusim.
6. If your organ recipient has asked for privacy, please respect that and do not attempt to learn his/her identity or make contact. Conversely, if you as a donor want to maintain your privacy, please tell the Donor Advocate so that the intended recipient can be advised of your wishes during the consent process.
7. In the USA, you cannot sell your organ to anyone. This is illegal.
8. Explore the experience level of your transplant center. Ask them about their donor morbidity (complications) and mortality (deaths).
9. Meet someone who has been a living donor. Your transplant center can arrange this.
10. Ensure you have your own life and health insurance policies before you donate. Some have experienced problems getting insurance/higher premiums after donation.
11. Also consider registering to be a deceased organ donor. This is usually accomplished via a registry at your state automobile registration facility but some states have on-line registries.
http://organdonor.gov/donor/registry.shtm
12. If you ever have ethical concerns about being a donor, consult the Donor Advocate or ethicist at your transplant center.
13. After you donate, keep in contact with the transplant center and let them know if you are having any complications. If you move or change your phone number, let them know. It is very important to track the safety and welfare of donors long-term.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LIVING DONOR EVALUATION PROCESS, SEE BELOW:
Living Liver Donor Candidate Evaluation: http://www.umm.edu/transplant/lld_evaluation_process.htm
Living Kidney Donor Candidate Evaluation: http://www.umm.edu/transplant/lkd_eval_process.htm
(These are only examples-- each transplant center has their own unique evaluation process but it will likely be similar to that which is noted above. In general, the intended recipient's insurance pays for the living donor evaluation but you may still have some out-of-pocket costs. Please discuss this with the financial coordinator at the hospital you are working with.)
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