Kidneys are among the most commonly donated organs among living donors
Organ donation is essential to the health care system. Thousands of people each year require an organ transplant, and there is a chronic shortage of available organs. Most jurisdictions include an organ donation card with driver licensing to encourage post-mortem donation. There has also been an increase in living donation, whereby donors can donate a single kidney or a portion of a liver or lung.
Surgical Complications
Potentially dangerous complications can arise during and immediately following living-donor surgeries. These can include bleeding, blood clots and infection of the surgical site, and in rare cases can result in death.
Long-term Health Effects
Living donors can sometimes experience long-term health problems, depending on which organ is donated. For kidney donors, these include kidney failure and high blood pressure. Lung donors may suffer from respiratory problems or irregular heartbeat. Liver donors can face pulmonary embolism, gastrointestinal problems, pancreatitis or liver disease or failure.
Psychological Effects
Living organ donors often suffer from anxiety both before and after surgery. They may also become depressed. In addition, if the transplant is unsuccessful (for example, if the recipient's body rejects the organ), living donors may experience intense feelings of guilt and failure.
Expenses
Living donors sometimes face financial consequences for their decision to donate their organs. These can include medical expenses, loss of salary for time taken off work, and potentially loss of employment due to complications affecting their ability to work.
Effect on Families
In the case of post-mortem donors, organ donation can have negative psychological consequences for their families. If the potential donor has not left clear instructions regarding their donation wishes, family members will be pressured to decide whether or not to agree to organ donation. In some cases, organ donation may exacerbate the family's grief.
Cultural Barriers
Some traditional cultures and religions object to organ donation. Traditional Chinese and Roma beliefs reject the concept of organ donation. The Shinto religion views organ donation as desecration of the corpse.
