器官捐献常见问题回答

  Organs and tissue that can be donated include the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, small       intestines, eyes, bone, skin, and heart valves.

Does my age, medical condition, or sexual orientation prevent me from being a donor?

Everyone is a potential donor regardless of age, medical condition or sexual orientation. The oldest Canadian organ donor was 92 and the oldest tissue donor was 104. Even individuals with serious illnesses can sometimes be donors. Your decision to register should not be based on whether you think you would be eligible or not. All potential donors are evaluated on an individual, medical, case-by-case basis.

Why should I register as an organ and tissue donor?

By registering consent for organ and tissue donation, you give hope to the thousands of Ontarians waiting for a transplant. Individuals on the transplant wait list are suffering from organ failure and without the generous gift of life from an organ donor, they will die. Tissue donors can also enhance the lives of recovering burn victims, help restore sight, and allow people to walk again. Transplants not only save lives, they return recipients to productive lives.

What does it mean to consent to donate organs and tissue for research?

Organs or tissue not suitable for transplantation can be used for organ and tissue research (if indicated by donor upon registration). This research is specific to the field of organ and tissue donation, and is not the same as whole body donation.

What is involved in the organ donation process and how long will donation take?

When an Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinator is preparing to speak with a family about donation, they will access the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care database to see if their loved one was a registered donor. That information would be shared with the family and they would be asked to reaffirm that choice. Once consent is given, medical tests are completed to determine what organs and tissues are suitable for transplant. The organs are then matched with someone on the transplant wait list and surgery takes place in an operating room at the hospital. The entire donation process, from the time the family agrees to move forward with donation to recovery, takes about 24 to 36 hours to complete.

Can my family overrule my decision to donate?

When you register your consent to donate, this information is recorded and stored in a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care database. Your decision will only be accessed should there be potential for donation, and your status as a registered donor will be shared with your family. It is Trillium Gift of Life Network's practice to reaffirm an individual's consent to donate with the family. In most cases, families honour their loved ones' decision to donate if they have evidence that it's what they wanted.

Register as an organ donor and talk to your family about your wishes; one day this act could save a life.

How do you know if my organs and tissue are suitable to donate?

Eligibility to donate is assessed at the time of death from information obtained during a medical social questionnaire completed with families. In addition, every organ is tested for suitability to ensure that as many people as possible can be helped through transplant.

Do families pay any costs associated with organ and/or tissue donation?

There are no costs to the donor’s family for organ and tissue donation. However, expenses related to funeral arrangements remain the responsibility of the donor’s family.

What happens after the organs and tissue are removed?

The body is released to the family, and funeral arrangements can continue as planned.

What impact does organ donation have on funeral plans? Can I have an open casket at the funeral?

Organ and tissue donation does not impact funeral plans. Cremation and an open casket funeral are both possible.

• Organ recovery from the abdomen or chest usually involves one surgical incision that clothing would cover.
• When corneas are donated, typically the whole globe of the eye is removed. Funeral homes provide eye caps to maintain the shape and form of the eyes. This is usual practice whether eyes are donated or not.
• The appearance of the skin after recovery is similar to that of sunburn. A paper-thin layer of skin is removed from the back of the body permitting an open casket funeral.

(Source: Trillium Gift of Life Network)