Organ donation after death: thoughts and experiences?

Let us categorize this under Health.

On the index, there was news posted with the sensationalist headline 'Americans are having organs removed without family consent' (acting as a link to an article from a hyper-yellow tabloid like the New York Post).

I won't bother summarizing the whole text, but one particular sentence caught my eye: 'After lengthy legal battles, disappointed families lose their cases in court.'

First off, why on earth would anyone choose not to donate their organs after they pass away? If we look at this realistically, what is the point of holding onto them—you have absolutely no use for them once you're gone, right? And then, to make matters worse, the family steps in and says no. For what possible reason?
Is it so a deceased person looks nice and perfectly intact?

Now, suppose we are dealing with an emergency situation where the family says 'No,' yet the doctor proceeds to take the organ because they cannot reach the next of kin within a 24-hour window. That is when these legal battles begin. They aren't "disappointed families"—they are just fools, considering a human life was actually saved.

If my own people did that to me, I would rise from my grave like a zombie and haunt them for at least a year.

The topic was spot on a few weeks back...

So, apparently, if you’re one of those people who isn't down with donating your organs after you kick the bucket, you actually have to go talk to your GP and sign some official paperwork explicitly saying "nope."

If you haven't filed that statement, doctors basically have the green light to just take what they need once you're gone—without even bothering to ask the family first.

I guess most people refusing to donate probably have religious reasons or something like that...

Personally, I'd be more than happy to give mine up, though I know damn well it wouldn't make anyone any happier in the end...😁

rustymoose54 said:I would be more than happy to donate mine, though I am under the impression it wouldn't actually make anyone's life any better.😁

That really depends on what exactly you are offering to give. 😉

I was entirely unaware there was an ongoing debate regarding the legalities of this matter. Since the article was published just today, I suppose that explains why I'm only just catching up...

neonsailor12 said:Depends on what you'd be willing to hand over. 😉

I didn't even realize there was a whole debate going on about the legal side of things. Just saw the article today and, well, here we are...

😲
I'm talking about organ donation after death, obviously... 😬

Anyway, the actual topic is over here

Even though doctors aren't technically required by law to ask anyone about organ donation, I'm 120% certain that here in the States, not a single organ is ever harvested without getting written consent from the family first.
I mean, regardless of how much money or medicine goes into keeping a donor stable, once you factor in the process of proving brain death and all those diagnostic tests, if the family says NO, everything just stops—they pull the patient off the ventilator and stop the inotropic meds immediately.

Back in the day, my professor used to tell us stories about how the US was part of this sort of "international organ bank"—that’s just a term I’m using to get the point across—where an organ could be sourced from another country if needed, or even donated back to the pool... Apparently, the US didn't really contribute much to that international reserve, though we certainly drew from it quite often. I’m being a bit reductive here, but the core truth is that organ donation rates in America have always been somewhat low. Even though the old laws didn't strictly require you to carry a donor card, as Scott Allen10 mentioned, doctors would always consult the family first, and if they said no, then that was the end of it. But under the new regulations, you actually have to explicitly opt out, and since most people aren't going to go through the trouble of doing that, there will likely be a much larger pool of potential donors available... I was chatting with Ljubelj about this recently, and he told me he wouldn't donate anything, whereas I'd happily give mine up, though honestly, if I don't sign that paper, I guess I'll just have to be buried in one piece...😬

Just a couple more thoughts on this...
That donor card thing? It’s never actually had any legal teeth. Honestly, the whole point of those cards is just pure propaganda to get people thinking about donating. Legally speaking, you've got more authority with a damn calendar or some old movie club membership card than you do with that piece.
If brain death is confirmed and the family gives the green light, but there isn't a local match or a way to find one quickly... those organs end up being shipped off via some "international exchange." Usually, you see folks from Italy flying in, grabbing the organs, and then—boom—they're gone.
I've even heard stories where they showed up just because our transplant teams were all out on vacation at the same time. At least that was the excuse they gave us, though I wouldn't put it past them to have just been feeling lazy that day, if you know what I mean...
🙄

It’s true that America used to be part of the Eurotransplant network, but we lost that status mainly because there just weren't enough organs being added to the shared pool compared to how much demand there was.

Things have actually been looking up lately, probably thanks to a lot of positive PR, the success they've had with liver transplants at Mayo Clinic, and—this is huge—a whole new generation of dedicated doctors popping up all over the US. These folks working in ICU units are where most potential donors are identified, and they step up as hospital coordinators who are incredibly on top of things. Though, I guess, like a lot of stuff in this country, it still relies heavily on specific people just being passionate about their jobs, so it might only last as long as that enthusiasm does. It's such demanding work, both physically and mentally, especially when you're having those heartbreaking conversations with families during their worst moments.

Scott Allen10, I can't help but mention some of your points; you clearly know how the system works, but I feel like, just like with other healthcare topics, your tone gets a little bit bitter sometimes. Having a full transplant team on standby is absolutely essential to actually making use of the organs being harvested, and there really aren't any members of those teams who just "don't feel like working" when the moment hits. Since there are so few specialists like this in the US, if even one person is missing for any reason, it could seriously mess up the outcome, so sometimes it's honestly better not to even start the procedure.
I think way more organs get wasted simply because someone was too lazy or just didn't want to deal with the hassle of managing a potential donor, finding it easier to just pull the plug and call it a day.

It’s pretty obvious that this whole field mostly runs on the sheer passion of individuals working within JIL facilities across the country. It isn't like there’s some massive direct incentive for the work itself, but it does get billed properly—for both the anesthesiologists and the anesthesia techs. Plus, every organ procurement center here in the States receives a set amount of funding through flat-rate contracts based on their yearly quota of transplants. That money stays with the hospital regardless of whether they actually hit those numbers or not. On top of that, when it comes to procurement activities, you can bypass department or hospital budget caps to pick up all sorts of equipment that ends up being used for everyone else too (think ultrasound machines, blood gas analyzers, EEGs, etc.). What I'm trying to say is, this business definitely offers some perks, not just for the hospital or the ward, but for the individual people involved (not that it's a paycheck per se, but it adds up).

I’m not trying to be a jerk or act like I know everything in my posts. I’m just trying to give a realistic look at how things play out from my perspective. For instance, once brain death is confirmed... it involves endless phone calls back and forth with a whole bunch of different agencies... and then, you have one member of the procurement team—let's call him Smith—telling my coordinator, totally fed up and discouraged, that he couldn't do it with a sincere heart because the guy whose organs he was supposed to harvest had to leave for some "important business" elsewhere... the coordinator absolutely lost it because he’d wasted four or five hours and blown a ton of money on expensive diagnostics, only to find out the liver and kidneys weren't even viable... so, the whole thing was a wash.
I mean, I agree that we're talking about a very small group of people; there's no debate there. But you can't just claim these kinds of situations don't happen and cover it all up with this aura of self-sacrifice, honesty, and a simple shortage of staff. Because that heart described above wasn't lost just because someone felt lazy. That's not even my take on it, though—it's the coordinator's, and he knows exactly who's who in the world of transplantation here in the US.

And I totally agree with your last point—way too many organs go to waste simply because someone didn't feel like dealing with the hassle of a donor, so they just shut off the dopamine and norepinephrine and signed the death certificate. Like you said, it's just easier that way. Sadly enough...🙄

So... I've been thinking about signing up to be an organ donor for quite some time now.

It was actually a news report that got me thinking—about this little girl who was hit by a truck while crossing the street. Her parents decided to donate her heart, kidneys, and liver. Because of that one choice, four people were saved.

What are your thoughts on this? Would you go through with it?

Also, does anyone know where I can actually get the donor card? I tried calling their toll-free number, but I just keep getting stuck talking to a receptionist...

🙂 👋

I've actually had mine for years now.
If I can help anyone out, I'm happy to!
I ended up ordering my own online through http://www.hdm.us/
With the way the laws are shifting lately, I think they can take organs unless you specifically tell your doctor that you don't want them used.
Someone else might know the specifics better than me.

recently we were chatting about this whole thing... if you head over there, you'll find the actual link to the thread

My apologies... even with my glasses on, I completely missed 😁

As for HDM, I checked their site the other day and you can't even place an order online because they claim the website is currently under construction 🙄

I took her to the Rijeka University Hospital Center Urology Clinic more than a few years ago. I'm not sure where you are, but maybe try asking at the hospital.

Peter Mendoza6 said:My bad... even though I'm wearing glasses, I still totally missed the point... 😁

Look, there’s seriously no need to apologize... I was just trying to help you out, okay? It's not like I was spying on you or anything...

Peter Mendoza6 said:I'm so sorry... even with my glasses on, I totally missed that! 😁

Regarding HDM, I was browsing their site the other day and couldn't get an order through because they claim the website is under construction. 🙄

It works fine for me!
Just shoot them an email.

u!

You don't even have to opt out anymore. I just found out from my doctor that the whole system flipped—now, if you're against organ donation, you actually have to go sign a formal refusal with your GP. Otherwise, they'll just take whatever they can use when the time comes. 👍

In theory, sure. But in practice, I'm pretty damn certain they're going to ask the family.

They'll probably ask, but if I don't need it anymore, what's the point? 🙄 , let them help someone who actually needs it.