Best Organ Transplant Hospitals in India

Types of Organ Transplant in details:

When it comes to organ transplant, there are a wide range of organ transplant procedures, some of the common ones are enlisted below with the required details, and have a look at them:

FAQ's for India Organ Transplant.com

1. What is Organ donation and organ transplantation?

Organ donation refers to the process of removing organs or tissues from a live or recently dead person to be used in another. Liver, Kidneys, Heart, Lungs, Bone Marrow, Eyes (cornea), Pancreas, small bowel and skin can be donated. Healthy organs should be transplanted from the donor to the recipient as soon as possible after brain death of the cadaver donor. Often an Organ donation is an immediate and lasting consolation that is comforting to the family that even though their loved one has died, one or more persons can live on through their gift of life.

Organ Transplant is a medical procedure in which a person's dysfunctional organ or tissue is replaced by that of a healthy person, hence restoring its function. Organs Transplants can drastically improve the quality of life of the patient and provide them another chance to live.

2. Are organ and tissue transplants experimental?

Today, medication and medical advances have resulted in transplant surgeries that are very successful, as high as 95 percent. The transplantation of vital organs has now become routine surgical operation and it is no longer experimental.

3. How are organs and tissues for transplantation obtained?

Most organ and tissues are donated by individuals at the time of their death. Others are donated by living donors.

4. What if organ and tissue donation is against my religion?

Religious leaders of most denominations throughout the world favours organ and tissue donation and considers it as a greatest humanitarian act. Check with your religious leader if you are still concerned.

5. Who Can Become Donors?

Anyone from a child to an elderly person can be a donor. Even in case you have had a serious illness in the past, you can still become donors given the right circumstances.

Almost all the organs can be donated by someone who is dead; however, it should reach the recipient within a few hours after the donor's death. Some organs can also be donated by a living person. The blood group should be non-interfering. If the recipient is blood group 'O' then only 'O' can be a donor; if the blood group is AB then any blood group O, A, B & AB can be a donor. This is for live kidney donation

6. What is a Cadaver Organ Donation?

Cadaver organ donation is organ donation after death. In natural death (non-heart beating) eyes and other tissues can be donated, whereas solid organs such as liver, kidney, heart, lungs etc. can be donated in BRAIN Death (heart beating).

7. Which organs and tissues can be donated after death?

Livers, kidneys, bone marrow, lungs, corneas, heart valves, pancreases, tendons, bones, skin and bone marrow can all be transplanted.

8. Do I have to pay to be an organ and tissue donor after death?

Donors and their families do not have to pay for any expenses related to the organ and tissue donation.

9. Does organ and tissue donation after death cause any disfigurement to the donor?

The body remains totally intact as the organ removal is a sterile surgical procedure. If desired the open casket funerals are still possible.

10. What is BRAIN DEATH?

When someone is brain dead, it indicates that there is no blood flow or oxygen to their brain and that their brain is no longer functioning in any capacity and never will again. Brain death does not mean that the other organs, such as the liver, heart, or kidneys are dead, though they may still function but only for a few days due to breathing support machines. The moment their support machines are stopped they die. Since this is in the Intensive Care Units of the Hospitals, under strict controlled environment so unless damaged by injury of disease, these organs may be used by another individual through an organ transplant. The Government of India has accepted this definition of Brain Death in the year 1994 by passing Transplant Human Organ Act (THOA).

11. How does Brain Death Occur?

Brain death usually results from brain hemorrhage or severe brain injury that causes all the brain activity to stop. It can also happen after a bleeding in the brain due to a stroke or a major road accident.

Brain Death and Normal Death

To confirm that a patient is Brain Dead, two Doctors from a different hospital who are not involved with the patient's treatment carry out a series of tests on the patient. These doctors are chosen from a panel of doctors recommended by the Government, and adhere to very strict standards which are medically, legally and ethically accepted all over the world.

12. What Are The Different Types Of Organ Transplant Donations?

There are two different kinds of organ transplant donations:

1. Living Donor Transplant:This is when a living person decides to donate his or her organ(s) to someone in need of a transplant. Usually the living donors are family members or close friends of the person needing a transplant and they must meet certain medical criteria. Before being accepted as suitable donors they are required to undergo comprehensive medical testing.
2. Deceased Donor Transplant: This occurs when organs from a brain dead individual are transplanted into the body of a living recipient. In this scenario, the deceased individual can only be a victim of brain death. In this kind of transplant, the recipient needs to be on a wait list until a suitable organ is available based on the medical profile of the recipient.

13. What organs and tissues can be donated and transplanted?

Currently, the following organs can be donated and transplanted:

1. Liver: A large organ located on the right side of the belly that secrets bile. It is active in the formation of certain blood proteins and in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Liver transplant is used to treat various conditions which cause liver failure, such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
2. Kidneys: Pair of bean-shaped organs, located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine that regulates acid-base concentration, maintains proper water and electrolyte balance, and filters the blood of metabolic waste excreted as urine. A kidney transplant may be recommended for those who have been diagnosed with end stage kidney disease.
3. Heart: A muscular organ pumping blood through the body. Heart transplant is required for babies born with heart defects and to help those suffering from heart failure.
4. Lungs: A pair of large, spongy organs which is an important part of the respiratory system. It takes in oxygen and expels carbon dioxide from the blood. Lung transplants are recommended for those with severe lung disease. Sometimes there is a combined heart and lung transplant.
5. Pancreas: A glandular organ located in the abdomen which aids in the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Pancreas transplant involves transplanting healthy pancreas in those who are insulin-dependent Type I diabetes.
6. Tissues that can be donated are:

• Cornea: The outer curved transparent tissue covering the iris and pupil on the outside of the eye. Corneal transplant is a common procedure for restoring vision in people with eye diseases and corneal infections
• Skin: A tissue protecting the body from injury and infection. Skin transplants or skin grafts treat severe burns, skin loss and extensive wounds due to infection.
• Heart Valves: Tissues that prevent the back flow of blood into the heart. Heart valve transplants are used to treat malfunctioning heart valves due to birth defects, infections, and aging. Heart valves are removed from the heart and are used for transplants when the entire heart is not usable
• Bones: Connective tissues that are dense, porous, semi rigid, and calcified forming the major portion of the skeleton of most vertebrates. Bone transplantation is recommended for reconstruction related to tumours, trauma, disease and fractures and to fill defects. For the recipient, it restores mobility, decreases pain, and prevents amputation and collapse of bone.
• Tendons: Tissues which attach muscles to bones. Tendon transplants are indicated in patients who have lost muscle function due to damage to tendons or nerve injury. It improves the recipient's life and makes it pain free.

14. How Does the Organ Donation Process Work in Living Donations?

1. Donor undergoes the medical tests and evaluations to check his/her medical compatibility with the recipient.
2. Donor's medical compatibility is confirmed by a doctor, only after which a transplant may take place.
3. Donor's organs are surgically retrieved and stored in special chemical solutions until transplantation is to occur.
4. Donor's body is surgically closed
5. Donor may have to stay under medical care for a few days after organ retrieval has occurred.

However, living donors may only donate a limited list of organs or tissue

15. How Does the Organ Donation Process Work in Deceased Donations?

1. The donor, a victim of a fatal injury to the head who is declared brain dead by a board of medical experts.
2. Consent from the donor's family is obtained before the organ procurement process is carried out.The donor's body is temporarily kept on a ventilator under special medical care ensuring that his/her heart is still beating and organs are kept alive.
3. Identify a suitable recipient(s) for the organ(s) off a waiting list and notify
4. The donor's organs are retrieved surgically and stored in special chemical solutions until the transplantation is to occur.
5. Then the ventilator support is ceased and the donor's body is surgically closed and released to the family.

16. How Does the Organ Donation Process Work in Deceased Donations?

A deceased donor is kept on a ventilator after he/she has been declared brain dead until the organs can be harvested. The organs of a brain dead person may stay alive for a varied time period ranging from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. However, the organs have limited life spans once they have been removed from the body and stored in a chemical solution. The length of time donated organs and tissues can be kept outside the body, before transplantation is to occur varies:

• 12 to 24 hours for liver
• 48 to 72 hours for kidneys
• 4 to 6 hours for heart
• 4 to 6 hours for lung
• 4 to 6 hours for heart-lung

17. Should Donors Tell Their Families About Their Wish To Donate Their Organs?

After pledging to become a donor, the most important thing that a donor must do is to discuss the decision with his/her family. Though the decision for organ donation is personal, however, organ and tissue donation cannot take place without the consent of the donor's family. It is also advised that the donors help their families understand the motive behind their decisions. For instance, if a donor may have been inspired by another donor's or recipient's story then he/she could narrate to his/her family and make them understand their feelings; so this can make the family to give their consent with the donor's decision.

18. What Is The Role Of The Recipient Of The Organ(s)?

Recipients needing a transplant should be aware of their roles in the entire procedure. Usually the recipients are (in deceased donations) linked to donors as:

1. The recipient is identified by a hospital as someone who is in need of an organ/tissue transplant.
2. The recipient's medical profile and information has been verified by the hospital in-charge.
3. The recipient is placed on a wait list of a hospital or a network of hospitals.
4. A suitable donor is identified based on medical compatibility with the recipient.
5. The recipient is informed about the donor and that the transplant may take place.

When awaiting a transplant, recipients should keep a few things in mind. They should fully comply with the hospital's requests for information; lack of coordination or hesitance to share information with the hospital may delay the identification of a donor. A positive attitude will help the recipients to endure the time they spend on the waiting list. The time period may vary, from a few days to a few weeks to a few months.

19. Can I Buy or Sell Organs?

No, not at all. As per The Transplant of Human Organs Act (THOA) 1994, commercial dealings in organs are prohibited making it a punishable offence.

20. What are the Common Health Problems after an Organ Transplant?

Most people who have an organ transplant live a pretty normal life. However, the organ transplants can still lead to other medical problems because of the medicines required for suppressing the immune system so that it doesn't fight the donor organ. These problems include: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout, gastrointestinal problems, sexual problems, unwanted hair growth, anxiety and depression.