Tissue and organ donation guidance

Organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

People requiring organ transplants are usually very ill or dying because their own organ is failing. They range from young babies and children through to older people. Some need transplants because they are born with a physical problem or a disease that causes organ failure. Others may have contracted a disease or acquired an injury. Organ transplants can save lives. People needing tissue trans...

Questions and answers about organ and tissue donation.

Should my age or health condition influence my decision to become an organ and tissue donor? No. While medical history and age are factors, most people CAN donate. Medical history and age factors are assessed for donation potential at the time of the individual’s death. People are strongly encouraged not to “rule themselves out” because they think their organs, tissue and eyes wouldn’t be suita...

Calling All Primary Care Practitioners: Promoting Organ and Tissue Donation

A little over two years ago, I was fortunate enough to act as a living liver donor to an 11-month old infant in need of a transplant. While I have always been a firm believer in organ and tissue donation, the process of becoming a donor myself truly opened my eyes to the dire need for improvement within the realm of organ and tissue donation in Canada. In the time since, I have been able to res...

Organ donation.

Transplantation is now an established form of treatment for organ failure in childhood. Much has been published on the outcome and management of children with organ transplants, the ethical issues have been widely discussed, and the criteria for the diagnosis of brain death have been established. Most transplanted organs are taken from donors who are brain dead but have a circulation and are be...

Organ donation and transplantation