Dispelling 9 Myths About Organ Donation
False information can discourage donors — Learn the facts
False information can discourage donors — Learn the facts
Key Takeaways
- Many fears about organ donation are myths.
- Doctors always prioritize saving lives.
- Most religions support or permit donation.
- There is no strict age limit for donors.
Misinformation about organ and tissue donation can keep people from registering as donors. Many common concerns about age, religion, funeral arrangements and medical care are based on myths rather than facts.
Learning how organ donation works can help people feel more confident about becoming donors.
In recent years, the number of organ transplants has steadily increased, with more than 49,000 performed in the United States last year. Even with this progress, many people are still waiting for an organ transplant that could save their lives.
More than 100,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant. About 13 die every day while waiting.
“The people on the transplant wait list are usually in the final stages of kidney, liver, heart, lung or pancreatic diseases or disorders and need an organ transplant to live,” says Jonathan Fisher, MD, a transplant surgeon at Scripps Clinic and division chief of the Scripps Center for Organ Transplantation at Scripps Green Hospital.
“People who sign up to become donors have the potential to help save or improve lives,” Dr. Fisher says.
In fact, one organ donor can save up to eight lives through transplantation.
9 organ donation myths — debunked
Myth #1: Doctors won’t work as hard to save your life if you’re an organ donor.
Fact: Your medical team’s top priority is always saving your life.
If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life, regardless of your organ donor status.
In fact, the medical team taking care of you is different than the transplant team. Organ donation can only be considered after every attempt has been made to save a patient’s life and death has been legally declared.
Myth #2: Brain death is the same as being in a coma and you’re not really dead.
Fact: Brain death is legally and medically defined as death.
Death is determined using strict medical standards by qualified physicians who are not part of the transplant team.
Brain death means a complete and irreversible loss of all brain function. Unlike a coma, where some brain activity remains and recovery may still be possible, brain death cannot be reversed.
Brain death can result from catastrophic head injuries, strokes or heart attacks that deprive the brain of oxygen. Other organs can work for a short time with the aid of a breathing machine.
Myth #3: My religion prohibits organ donation.
Fact: Most major religions support or permit organ and tissue donation if it does not impede or hasten the death of the donor.
Many faith traditions view organ donation as an act of love and compassion, generosity and charity.
If you have questions about being a donor, consider discussing it with a trusted religious or spiritual advisor.
Myth #4: I’m too old to be an organ donor.
Fact: There is no age limit to organ donation.
People in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s have successfully donated organs. What matters most is your overall health and the condition of your organs at the time of donation, not your age.
Myth #5: You can’t have an open casket funeral after organ donation.
Fact: Open-casket funerals are still possible.
Donation should not interfere with funeral plans. Transplant teams treat the donor’s body with care and respect so there are no signs of organ or tissue donation, and the body can be viewed in an open casket funeral.
Myth #6: Rich or famous people get priority for organs.
Fact: Organs are allocated based on medical factors, not wealth or fame.
Celebrity, status, income and social standing are not used to decide who receives an organ transplant. Instead, priority is based on factors like blood type, tissue match, urgency and time spent on the national wait list.
Most donated organs go to patients in the region where the organs are recovered.
Myth #7: You must be dead to donate an organ.
Fact: Living donation is possible.
While most organ donations occur after death, living donors can also help others receive a transplant. More than 7,000 living donations took place last year. Most of these type of donations happen between family members or close friends.
A healthy person may donate a kidney or part of their liver to someone with a serious medical condition. In some cases, living donors may also donate portions of the lung, pancreas or intestine.
About 85% of people on the national transplant wait list need a kidney.
Myth #8: My family will have to pay for organ donation.
Fact: There is no cost to the donor or their family for organ donation.
Expenses for organ recovery and transplant are paid by the recipient’s insurance or the transplant program. The donor and their family do not have to pay these costs.
Myth # 9: You can only sign up to be a donor at the DMV.
Fact: There are several ways to register as an organ donor.
You can sign up to become an organ and tissue donor:
- Online through your state donor registry
- In person at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Through the Health app on your iPhone
Anyone over 18 can register. In some states, people under 18 may also sign up with parental consent.
Talking to your family about your wishes
It is vitally important that organ donors discuss their decision with their loved ones.
“The decision to register as a donor is a personal one, but it ultimately involves more than one person,” says Dr. Fisher. “It’s important to talk to your family about your decision to donate so they are aware of your wishes and will feel comfortable honoring them.”