Organs which can be donated

Published July 22, in Blog. Organs that can be donated For patients and families awaiting transplant, organ and tissue donation can mean the difference between life and death. Heart: As the hardest-working muscle in the body, the heart beats times every minute and is responsible for pumping blood to every area. Conditions that make a heart transplant necessary are cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocarditis and heart disease.

Kidneys: Kidneys are the most needed and most commonly transplanted organ. Those on dialysis due to suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or cystic kidney disease may be candidates for a kidney transplant. Liver: The liver has more than known functions in the human body, including producing bile that aids in digestion, breaking down harmful substances in the blood and storing vitamins, sugars and fats.

Because of the vast number of functions, donating a liver can save people from chronic liver infections like hepatitis or damage from drugs or alcohol. A donated liver can sometimes be split between two recipients, which means one donor could potentially save the lives of two people.

Lungs: The lungs are tasked with a very important function in the body: extracting oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide. Conditions that often require a lung transplant include cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, emphysema and pulmonary edema. Similar to the liver, one donor can save the lives of two people by donating their lungs.

Pancreas: People need their pancreas to help regulate insulin. The pancreas produces insulin, which is a hormone that helps the body use glucose sugar for energy and enzymes that break down fat, protein and carbohydrates during digestion. All of these forms of donation can greatly enhance or even save the life of someone in need. When you register to donate your organs, you can also choose to donate your tissues, including your corneas and bone.

To find out more, please click one of the links below. This type of transplant is very rare and requires the family to explicitly consent to this type of donation.

Kristof was born with a very rare genetic condition, which led to liver failure. His life was saved at the age of three by an organ donor. Adwoa received a life-changing cornea transplant that allowed her to qualify as a GP and travel the world. Have a medical condition? Are you a smoker, or are you unable to give blood? You may still be able to become an organ donor. Get the facts about eligibility here. Get the facts behind common misconceptions around organ donation and funeral arrangements, faith and beliefs, the opt out system, family involvement and more.

All the major religions and belief systems in the UK support the principles of organ donation and transplantation. Most donation takes places after death, but you can donate some organs whilst you are alive.

When you register to donate your organs, you can also choose to donate your tissues. LIVER Transplantation is usually done either to treat the symptoms of a disease such as primary biliary cirrhosis, or to save the life of a patient dying from liver failure. PANCREAS A pancreas transplant is the only treatment which restores insulin independence for people with Type 1 diabetes, and can prevent, or slow down, diabetic complications like blindness and kidney failure.

It can relieve pain, improve sight or enable recipients to return to work and get on with living a normal life. Heart valves can save the lives of patients, including young children born with malformed hearts, or suffering from diseased or damaged valves. Donation can also help patients suffering from severe eye disease or injury.

When a donor consents to donating their corneas, the eyes are removed to preserve the integrity of the corneas until they are ready for transplantation. Additionally, other parts of the eye such as the sclera can also be used for transplantation.

The most common type is kidney donation, when one kidney is removed from a healthy individual and transplanted into a relative or friend.