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Glossary of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation TermsWhile learning about organ donation and transplantation, you may encounter some unfamiliar words, phrases or concepts. Becoming familiar with these terms will help you with any questions people might ask you as you tell them about the subject, thus adding to your creditbility and raising the possibilty that they might become a donor as a result. This glossary contains frequently used terms related to organ and tissue donation and transplantation for you to reference and learn. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local OPO.Blood Typing (and cross matching): Blood cells contain factors, which are not the same in all people. Patients can only receive blood that matches his or her own blood type (meaning the factors must match). The one exception to this rule is a person with the blood type "O-", also known as the "Universal Donor". Those with the O- blood type can donate organs to any other blood type, but must have an O- organ if they themselves needed a transplant. Also, those with the O+ blood type can sometimes be a universal donor, but that is not usual. (Source NYOD head of tissue recovery) back to top Brain Death: A state in which the brain has permanently stopped working. A series of tests administered by a physical will determine the loss of brain functions. Artificial support systems may maintain functions such as heartbeat and respiration for a few days, but not permanently. Typically, donor organs are recovered from patients only when they are declared brain dead. back to top Cardiac Death: Death resulting from total, irreversible loss of heartbeat and respiration. With cardiac death, there is no cardiac or respiratory function. back to top Compatibility: Closeness in matching of blood type and tissue type between a donor and a recipient. Compatibility helps to determine whether or not a transplanted organ will be likely to be rejected by the recipient's body. back to top Dialysis: Process by which toxins are removed from the blood. Normally, the kidneys perform this function, but if kidneys are damaged or diseased, dialysis may be used. back to top Donor Registry Card: A legal document used by an individual to indicate his or her choice to be an organ and/or tissue donor at the time of death. back to top Graft: A tissue or organ that is transplanted. back to top Histocompatability: A state of "mutual tolerance" that allows certain tissues to be grafted together: a donor organ must be histocompatible with a recipient in order to be transplanted. back to top Immunosuppressive Drugs: Also known as "anti-rejection drugs". Given to all transplant recipients, these drugs lessen the chance that the body of a transplant recipient will reject the new organ(s). While some of these drugs may have undesirable side effects, they are crucial for maintaining one's life. back to top Living Related Donor: An individual in good health who has undergone compatibility testing and is able and willing to donate a kidney or a portion of a liver to a person to whom he or she is related biologically. back to top Living Unrelated Donor: An individual in good health who has undergone compatibility testing and is willing and able to donate a kidney or a portion of a liver to a person with whom he or she is acquainted but to whom he or she is not related biologically. back to top Living Unacquainted Donor: An individual in good health who has undergone compatibility testing and is willing and able to donate a kidney or a portion of a liver to a person with whom he or she is neither acquainted nor related biologically. back to top Non-Living Donor: An individual who has experienced brain dead or cardiac death whose family has decided to donate organs or tissues to an as-yet unidentified recipient. back to top Preservation: The technique used to keep organs or tissues viable once they are removed from the donor. Preservation fluids and reduced temperatures assist in preserving organs. The time between organ donation and surgery and transplantation surgery is kept to a minimum to assist in the preservation process. back to top Procurement: A term for recovering donated organs or tissues for transplantation. The current preferred term is organ "recovery". back to top Tissue: A group of similar cells that act together to perform a function in the body. Examples of tissues include skin, bone, corneas, tendons, veins, heart valves, and vessels. back to top Tissue Bank: A facility that processes donated tissue to prepare it for transplantation, and distributes the processed tissue t physicians, dentists, and hospitals. back to top Transplantation: Surgical placement of a donated organ or tissue from a donor into a recipient. back to top Waiting List: After evaluated by the transplant physician, a patient is added to a national transplant waiting list by the transplant center. Each time a donor becomes available, the national UNOS waiting list computer generates a list of potential recipients based on factors that include genetic similarity, organ size, medical urgency and geography. Through this process a "new" list is generated each time an organ becomes available, in order to find a best match for each and every waiting transplant recipient. back to top |
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