"Ask the Doctor": Organ Transplants

January 04, 2000

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Dr. Woods: That's a very simple answer. There are simply not enough donor organs available. When I last checked, there were over 70,000 individuals waiting for organ transplants in the United States. And each year, there are only about 5,000 to 6,000 organ donors. So quite simply, we could do many more transplants if everyone would agree to donate their loved one's organs.

Granny-g: If you want to be a donor, how can you make sure that your wishes are carried out?

Dr. Woods: That's an excellent question! Signing a donor card and/or indicating on the driver's license that you wish to be a donor are important things to do. However, your next of kin will make the final decision on whether your organs are donated. One of my other roles is working for LifeGift, which is our local organ procurement agency. Those of us in organ donation, both locally and nationally, are stressing that the most important thing to do to ensure that your organs are donated at the time of your death is to talk to your family. Talk to your next of kin, especially. They, as I mentioned, will be the ones who are asked to give consent at the time of your death so that your organs can be donated. The way we like to put it is, "Share your life; share your decision." This is the best way to ensure that your next of kin carries out your wishes.

Blueyes: I want to be an organ donor, but my husband does not agree with me. Can I have it put in my will, or something like that, to ensure that my organs are donated?

Dr. Woods: Yes! You can either do it in your will, which is a difficult problem because your will may not be readily available, or you can designate another individual to act as the person who will make medical decisions for you. That is something that you can ensure is done so that your wishes can be carried out. That person's role can certainly just be limited to decisions related to your health care and/or being an organ donor.

Grunge Dude: On average, how long does a person usually have to wait for a transplant?

Dr. Woods: That largely depends on the organ that the patient is waiting for. And it is very difficult to give an average for patients who are waiting for heart or liver transplants. For those organs, priority is given to the patients who are sickest. So in general, those patients who are sickest would hopefully be able to receive a transplant in a matter of weeks to months. For patients who need kidney transplants, or those that have stable liver or heart disease but still require a transplant, the waiting time is usually measured in years instead of months. If people have questions about the individual organs, I would be happy to expand on this answer.

Lovesandiego: My dad is 47. He has Hepatitis C and Cirrhosis of the Liver! He is just starting to show symptoms. The doctor says that he is going to treat his liver, and not put him on the list. Why would that be?

Dr. Woods: Obviously, I don't know your father's case. However, it would be my very strong recommendation that a liver transplant team evaluate your father. This would be to make the final determination about whether it is the appropriate time to consider him for a liver transplant. The reason I say this is that it is oftentimes difficult to predict the course of any patient's liver disease. Secondly, and probably more important, with the increasing length of time that patients have to wait to receive a liver transplant, it is imperative that they be seen and placed on the list as early in the course of their disease as is appropriate. This will increase the likelihood that they will eventually receive their lifesaving transplant.

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