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| Stats & FAQ's | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Organ Transplantation Fact Sheet
Current Statistics as of December 31, 2011
Number of solid organ and islet cell transplants performed in BC in 2010: Total: 295
Total: 211
For additional
information, please contact:
Time Waiting for Organ Transplant The median
waiting time is calculated according to the length of time Median Waiting Time (in Months) for First Adult Deceased Donor Transplants
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Q: I currently have an organ donor decal on my CareCard. Do I still need to register and fill out the Organ Donor Registry form? A: YES. The Organ Donor Registry replaced all previous ways of indicating your decision about organ donation. If you wish to be an organ donor, you can register online, or request registration forms by contacting BC Transplant at: BCTS_Webmaster@bcts.hnet.bc.ca , 604-877-2240 or toll free at 1-800-663-6189. Q: How do I check to see if I am already registered? You can verify your registration by visiting www.transplant.bc.ca or by calling BC Transplant 1-800-663-6189. You will need your Personal Health Number (BC CareCard). Q:
How does anyone know if I am registered on the Organ Donor Registry?
Q: Is there an age limit to register for organ donation? A:
No, there is no age limit to register. The health of the organs rather
than the age of the individual will determine whether the organs can be
transplanted. Q:
If I am a registered organ donor, will health care
providers make every effort to save my life? Q: Are there any costs involved to the family in organ donation? A:
No, all costs of organ donation are covered by BC Transplant. Q: Can I register my children on the Organ Donor Registry? A:
Yes, you can register your children online, or you can request a registration
form. You will need to sign the Registration on their behalf, if under
the age of 19. Q: Can I donate my organs if I have a medical condition? A: Yes, everyone should register their decision regardless of any medical conditions. A medical team does a thorough examination of every potential donor to determine what organs can be used for transplant. Q: When I sign up on the Organ Donor Registry, does that include donating Bone Marrow? A: No. If you would like to donate bone marrow, you must contact Canadian Blood Services at www.blood.ca or (604) 737-1811 or toll free at 1-888-737-1811. Q: I can't donate blood in Canada, can I still be an organ donor? A: Yes. A medical team does a thorough examination of every potential donor to determine what organs can be used for transplant. Every British Columbian can register on the Organ Donor Registry. Please contact BC Transplant if you have any questions. Q: Does a member of my family still have to give consent after I register? A: No, your organ donor registration is a legal document. Healthcare providers are required to respect your decision. If appropriate, we would encourage you to discuss your decision in advance with your family. Q: What organs/tissues can be donated? A: The heart, liver, lungs, pancreas, kidneys, heart valves, cornea, tissues, bones, skin, tendons and ligaments can be donated. Click here to learn more about how these organs and tissues are used for transplant. Q: Are donor families informed of which organs and tissues were transplanted, and to whom they were given? A: BC Transplant sends a letter to the donor's family stating which solid organs were transplanted. Often recipients will write letters of thanks to the donor families. Names are kept confidential and are not given to the donor or recipient families. Q:
Are there any costs involved to the family for organ
donation? A: No, all costs of organ donation are covered by BC Transplant. Q: If I consent to transplant research (option 1 on the organ donor registration form), what does that mean? A:
Consenting to transplant research allows blood and tissue samples to be
taken at the time of organ recovery, to be used for transplant specific
research. Q: What is living organ donation? A:
An individual can potentially donate one of their kidneys, or portion
of liver, to someone they know, such as a family member, spouse, friend,
or co-worker. In the case of kidney donation, someone could even donate
to someone they don't know through BC's Living Anonymous Donor program.
Living donors can lead healthy lives. Click
here for more information on living organ donation.
Q: If a donor is outside the Lower Mainland, where are the organs recovered? A: A surgical team will fly to the hospital where the donor is located. The organs are recovered and brought back to Vancouver where the waiting recipient is transplanted. Q: How long does the organ donation process take? A: The organ donation process takes approximately 24 hours. After donation, the body is released to the family for funeral arrangements. Q: Does BC Transplant pay for funeral arrangements? A: No. The family is responsible for all funeral arrangements. Q: Can a donor still have an open casket funeral? A: Yes. Organs are always carefully removed and incisions closed by a surgical team. The body is at all times treated with the utmost respect. Q: Are there religious objections to organ donations? A: Most religions support organ/tissue donation as a humanitarian act. You are encouraged to discuss this with the religious leader(s) in your community. Q: What happens next if we give our permission for the removal of respiratory support equipment, but do not give permission for organ/tissue donation? A: Respiratory support equipment is removed and your loved one's heart stops beating. The body is sent to the funeral home of your choice. If an autopsy is to be performed, it is done before the body is sent to the funeral home. Q: What happens next if we give our permission for organ/tissue donation? A: The family has the opportunity to say their farewells. The organ donation team evaluates the patient as a donor, blood samples are taken for the matching process. When recipients are located, organs/tissues are removed by a team of surgeons and a specialist trained in organ recovery. The body is prepared for the funeral home of your choice. Donation of organs/tissues should not cause a delay of funeral arrangements. Q: How many people are on the transplant wait-list in British Columbia? A: Currently, there are over 300 British Columbians waiting for a solid organ transplant. Thousands more are currently on kidney dialysis and most will one day be on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Q:
Why are there so few donors in BC? For further
information, please contact BC Transplant at BCTS_Webmaster@bcts.hnet.bc.ca
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Understanding Brain Death—Commonly Asked Questions Our hospitals provide care for patients who have suffered traumatic medical events (i.e.: head injuries, brain tumor, aneuryism, stroke). These patients might die in hospital in a way that could lead to potential organ donation. In traumatic medical circumstances, the patient's family could find themselves in a situation where pain, suffering and loss occur. Perhaps for the first time in their lives, family members must try to understand and deal with the subject of:
Because this
is a new experience for most families, it is helpful to have a clear understanding
of what is taking place. Although the following information certainly
will not take away your sense of pain and loss, hopefully it will help
you and your family better understand what is happening and to make difficult,
but necessary decisions. Q: The medical staff has been very open and honest with us and indicated that our loved one probably will not live. With all the tubes and respiratory equipment, how does the physician determine if a patient has actually died? A: The physician performs a series of tests to determine if death has occurred. Death is indicated if the patient:
Q: If my loved one is brain dead, what does that mean? A:
When someone is brain dead, it means there is not blood flow or oxygen
to their brain and that their brain is no longer functioning in any capacity
and never will again.
Q: I have always understood that when an individual dies, the heart stops beating. If my loved one is brain dead, why does the heart continue to beat? A:
With the artificial flow of oxygen the heart can continue to beat for
a length of time, which varies in all cases. Therefore, the brain can
be dead and the heart continue to beat. Q: What part does medication play in the body of the brain dead patient? A:
In case the family wishes to donate the organs and/or tissues, medications
are usually continued until the time the patient is declared brain dead.
These medications help keep the blood pressure and heart rate under control,
and some reduce swelling in the brain. Q: Would removing the respiratory support equipment be the same as causing the death of my family member or not giving him or her all possible chances? A:
Once the patient is brain dead, he or she is already dead. The brain will
never recover. Since the patient is already dead, you cannot kill him
or her by removing respiratory support. The respiratory support equipment
only keeps the heart beating, which gives the appearance that your family
member is living. Q: What is the recorded time of death for a brain dead patient...when the patient is declared brain dead or when the heart actually stops beating? A:
The recorded time of death is when the physician actually pronounces the
patient dead. The patient can be pronounced dead on the basis of brain
death (with the heart still beating). Medically and legally, the patient
is dead at that point. Q: Does the body of a brain dead patient sometimes start to deteriorate even if the patient is still on life support? A:
The failure of many organs begins to occur soon after brain death. Q: Are there any clinical documented cases where a patient was declared brain dead and later restored to a normal life? A:
No. When you hear about people who were brain dead and recovered, these
people were not actually brain dead. They were in a deep coma or vegetative
state with slight brain activity. Q: How can we deal with out struggle between hope and letting go? A:
Sometimes we must accept things we cannot change. When brain death is
declared, there is no hope, and it is time to let go. False hope can do
a great deal of harm and prevents the grieving process that allows for
emotional healing. Q: We have been told that our loved one is actually dead and there is no longer hope, yet a friend challenges us to "have hope". How do we respond? A:
People often find it difficult to comfort someone in this situation and
may often say things which are really not helpful. Some friends mean well,
but do not understand the reality of the situation. Q: Are the hospital staff and organ procurement staff adding insult to injury by suggesting and asking for organ/tissue donation at such a time of tragedy and loss? A:
Organ transplant offers life or a better quality of life to another person.
It gives the donor family the opportunity to help others at this time
of tragedy and loss. Q: What organs/tissues can be donated? A:
The heart, liver, lungs, pancreas, kidneys, heart valves, cornea, tissues,
bones, skin, tendons and ligaments can be donated. Q: Would we be told what organs and tissues were used and to whom they were given? A:
BC Transplant sends out a letter to the donor family telling what organs
were used. Often recipients will write letters of thanks to the donor
families. Names are kept confidential and are not given to the donor or
recipient families. Q: Does the donor's family have to pay for the cost of organ donation? A:
No. The donor's family neither pays for, nor receives payment for organ
and tissue donation. All costs related to donation are paid for by the
organ procurement program or transplant center. Hospital expenses incurred
before the donation of organs and funeral expenses remain the responsibility
of the donor's family. Q: If our family agreed to organ/tissue donation, are we prevented from having a normal funeral? A:
In organ donation, the body is treated with a great deal of respect and
dignity. An open casket funeral may be planned and no one, except those
directly involved, will know about the donation.
Q: Would my family member feel any pain if his or her organs were donated? A:
No, the person is dead and no longer feels pain. Q: What happens next if we give our permission for the removal of respiratory support equipment, but do not give permission for organ/tissue donation? A:
Respiratory support equipment is removed and your loved one's heart stops
beating. The body is sent to the funeral home of your choice. If an autopsy
is to be performed, it is done before the body is sent to the funeral
home. Q: What happens next if we give our permission for organ/tissue donation? A: The family has the opportunity to say their farewells. The organ recovery team evaluates the patient as a donor and takes blood samples for the matching process. When recipients are located, organs/tissues are removed by a team of surgeons and a specialist trained in organ recovery. The body is prepared for the funeral home of your choice. Donation of organs/tissues should not cause a delay of funeral arrangements. After reading
this and discussing it with your family, you may still have questions.
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