As a medical student, I have been taught that donor of liver tissue during a transplant has only about a 1% chance of mortality and that within a couple of weeks, the portion of your liver that was removed regenerates to its original size and you will have normal function.

Also, for kidney transplants, those of us blessed with two functional kidneys because you actually have "more kidney" than you really need. After donating a kidney to someone, you only lose 25% of renal function (as opposed to 50% like one would think). The kidney really is an amazing organ!! (sorry for being such a geek ;))

I personally plan to donate my organs after my death. There are such enormous lists for people waiting for a chance to live, I would love to give them an opportunity. But one thing I will never, EVER do is donate my body to a medical school for their anatomy course. Please believe me, you couldnt imagine some of the stuff we do just to get a "better look." We cut so many pieces up and off, we had a bit box so that families could receive ALL of their dead family member's body back once we were done:eek: I think eventually, anatomy will be reduced to schools only having some bodies for students to physically visualize, but alot of dissection will be learned online, so the number of bodies needed for science will actually reduce... some schools already teach anatomy that way.

I was very happy to see this topic. Im an educator for organ donation.
1st I am registered and have no doubt that it is a great thing to do. If I am gone, I am gone and to be able to possibly give life to someone in my death is a nice thought.

2nd This topic generally doesnt become important to you until you meet someone who either has had or needs a transplant. It will change your view to see someone who is alive simply because someone thought enough to share. It will also depress the heck out of you to see someone who will probably die because others choose not to think about this topic because its uncomfortable.

3rd When minorities choose not to register we screw our own community. Organs can cross racial lines but for the most part they are matched better within the same ethnic group.

If you are really creeped out about having something visual like a donor card or a license insignia just ask about your states official registry. That way noone will know that you are a donor until you are a gonner anyway.

I can answer these questions more formally but I figured it was a message board and Id keep it light.

Honeychile: All surgical procedures carry some risk, as you know. I didnt think the risk to the DONOR from a transplant surgery was THAT high, though.

I'm not a medical student, but I am interested in surgeries and what not (weird medical fixation I have, I guess). Is your brother doing ok now?

Thank you for asking, but I'm afraid not. The good news is, the last appointment he had gave him another 10 years.


DPiece7 - thanks for the information! I was obviously reading outdated information (although I'm still glad we're not a match...!).

I am a donor, but this story now has me a little nervous. I can't give blood (I don't like needles either); I'm anemic.

I would donate, and I've made sure my friends and family know that and it's on my driver's license. I've seen family and friends benefit from receiving organs. It's a beautiful thing.

Thank God for organ donors... a gentleman i know who used to live in my neighborhood received a lung and a kidney from a car accident vicitm... saved his life... he died a couple years later but before he died he was able to donate blood that someday might save a life. I have nothing but respect for those who do it. I myself am an organ donor.

i'm both an organ donor and donate my blood. i believe it's a blessing to be able to do so. i can help save someone's life just by being alive and in health enough to help someone else. i can get over my dislike of needles for a few moments to donate--i just don't look lol. i do plenty of breathing and looking in the other direction :D

Being O+, it's about time for me to donate again. it's been about 8 months. i'd like to donate yearly at the minimum.

re: my organs--i'll be getting a glorified body, so they can keep anything that they can use.

Ethnicity doesn't affect donation of organs, tissue and blood. However, in many cases, bone marrow is best matched within ethnicities. Is that what you were thinking about?

^^
 

Nope
I work with several doctors at major transplant centers that will tell you that organs from within the same ethnic group have a smaller percentage of rejection rates.

"Successful transplantation often is enhanced by the matching of organs between members of the same ethnic and racial group. For example, any patient is less likely to reject a kidney if it is donated by an individual who is genetically similar. Generally, people are genetically more similar to people of their own ethnicity or race than to people of other races. Therefore, a shortage of organs donated by minorities can contribute to death and longer waiting periods for transplants for minorities."

^^This quote is from the United Network for Organ Sharing (the unified network established by the U.S Congress).

I am on the national bone marrow registry, but that is all. I have always wanted to be an organ doner, but my parents were not having it and even with a card Teens4Transplants at my high school always told me it would be the family's decision.

Now that I am married I need to talk to my husband so that my wishes won't be subverted.