The Donation Process

The donation process is a complex series of events involving medical professionals at all levels in varied settings. Federal and state legislation was enacted to help ensure the process is carried out in a fair and efficient way, leading to an equitable distribution of donated organs. This legislation recommended the establishment of a national computer registry, called the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) which houses the national computer registry for the purpose of matching donor organs to waiting recipients.

The OPTN is managed by an organization known as the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), located in Richmond, Virginia. UNOS cooperates with organ procurement organizations throughout the country to place organs and tissues locally, regionally, and nationally.

Here's how the process works:
When a potential organ donor is identified by hospital staff and brain death is imminent or present, hospital staff is required to contact LifeLink and exchange information on the potential donor and to determine suitability. LifeLink staff counsel families on end of life issues, including donation.

If consent for donation is given, a search is made for the most appropriate recipient(s), using the national computer registry. It is common for donors and donor families to contribute multiple organs and/or tissues. Therefore, a single donor may help several recipients.

When a match is found, LifeLink arranges for the donated organs(s) to be surgically removed, preserved, and transported to the appropriate transplant center(s). If consent is provided for tissue, recovery occurs after the organ donation process.

How Allocation Works:
Those in need of transplants are listed at the transplant center where they plan to have surgery, and on the national computerized registry. UNOS maintains a 24-hour telephone service to aid in matching donor organs with patients on the national waiting list and to coordinate efforts with transplant centers.

When donor organs become available, they are matched to waiting recipients by characteristics including blood type, weight, age; urgency of need; and length of time on the waiting list. In general, preference is given to recipients from the same geographic area as the donor because timing is a critical element in the organ procurement process.