What is Organ Transplantation?

Organ transplantation is the transplantation of all or part of an organ taken from a living donor or a brain-dead person, instead of an organ that cannot function in the body .

Which Organs and Tissues Can Be Transplanted?

Today, kidney, liver, bone marrow, heart and pancreas are the most commonly transplanted organs. Although lung and small intestine transplants are increasing, the success rates are not at the desired level. Tissues such as bones, tendons and ligaments can give freedom of movement again to people who have lost tissue due to reasons such as trauma or cancer. Cornea transplantation allows patients who cannot see due to the destruction of this tissue to see, and skin transplantation allows patients whose wounds do not heal after burns to close their wounds. Heart valves can be transplanted to patients who have congenital heart valve disease or whose valves have subsequently deteriorated.

Who Receives Organ Transplantation?

The organ sources to be used in organ transplants are living donors and cadaver donors. In our country, organ procurement from cadavers is quite low compared to organ procurement from living organs, unlike western countries. 

Organs taken from cadavers are obtained by harvesting the organs of the family or philanthropists who donate their organs before their death, after brain death. 

In living organ transplantation, relatives and related relatives up to the 4th degree can be used as donors. 

• First degree relatives: mother, father, child
• 2nd degree relatives: sibling, grandfather, grandmother, grandchild
• 3rd degree relatives: uncle, aunt, uncle, nephew
• 4th degree relatives: Children of 3rd degree relatives 

In non-relative organ transplants, recipients and donors are evaluated by ethics committees established within the Provincial Health Directorate. If the ethics committee approves that there is no medical, ethical or legal problem between the individuals, the transplant is accepted for transplantation.

About Organ Transplantation

Today, many organ transplantation centers provide services, but as you know, unfortunately, patients still lose their lives due to chronic organ diseases that can be treated with transplantation, not only in Turkey but even in the most developed countries of the world. Although the point reached is incomparable with the past, especially organ donation rates are far below what they should be, and in some regions of our country, these rates are unacceptably low. For these reasons, we all have to do our part. We must tirelessly inform our people, our patients and even healthcare personnel working in other fields, emphasize the importance of the issue in every environment and ensure that it does not fall off the agenda.

In the meantime , it should not be forgotten that our main goal should be to increase organ donation rates among medically deceased people . Our patients whose lives or health depend on tissue and organ transplants such as heart and cornea, which cannot be received from living donors, have no choice. When sufficient organ donation rates are reached, the need to use healthy people as donors in kidney and liver transplants will automatically disappear. However, until this goal is achieved, the use of living donors is inevitable. The point that should never be compromised while doing this is ethical values. Especially in organ transplants where living donors are used, people who are completely healthy and have no medical problems undergo surgery to remove one of their kidneys or part of their liver. The primary aim of these surgeries should be to never put the donor’s health at risk. Apart from this, since organ transplantation is an area that is extremely open to abuse, the issue of correct application of ethical and legal rules should be carefully evaluated.

What is Organ Donation?

It is the process of a person donating some or all of his organs, while he is still healthy, to be used in other people after brain death. From one perspective; Organ donation is no different from blood transfusion.

Who Can Donate Organs?

Anyone who is healthy, over the age of 18, and has the ability to distinguish between right and wrong can donate their organs.

Which Organs and Tissues Can Be Donated?

Organs such as kidney, liver, heart, lung, small intestine and pancreas. Tissues such as heart valve, eye cornea layer, muscle, bone and bone marrow. Face and extremities can be donated at an increasing rate in recent years. There are also types of organ donation that can be done while you are alive (such as kidney, liver, small intestine and pancreas) .

Where and How is Organ Donation Done?

Organ donation procedures are carried out in many state and university hospitals in Turkey . For organ donation;

• In Health Directorates,
• In hospitals,
• At Police Departments (During Driving License Obtaining),
• In Organ Transplant Centers,
• Foundations, Associations, etc. interested in organ transplantation. in organizations

It is sufficient to fill out and sign the organ donation card in the presence of two witnesses.

It will be beneficial for organ donors to inform their families about this situation in order to prevent problems that may arise later. If organ donors always carry their organ donor card with them, it will ensure that the organ donation process is carried out without confusion and delay. Once the person gives up organ donation, he/she must stop carrying his/her organ donor card and inform his/her family of this decision.

How to Choose the Person Who Will Benefit from Organ Donation?

The patient to whom the organs will be transplanted is determined by the National Organ Transplantation Coordination Center of the Ministry of Health. Patients are selected from those registered in the national waiting list. If you are not registered to any organ transplant center, it is not possible to receive an organ transplant from a cadaver. Registration to the National Waiting List can be made from all centers that perform organ transplantation. Patients in need of urgent organ transplantation are evaluated by a scientific committee under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, and the first organ removed is sent to the relevant center to be transplanted to the patient in emergency.

Are there any religious drawbacks to organ donation?

There is no religious objection to organ donation. Most major religions approve and support organ donation. In this respect; The Supreme Council of Religious Affairs of the Presidency of Religious Affairs declared that organ transplantation is permissible with its decision dated 3.3.1980 and numbered 396/13. In this decision; 1. There is a state of necessity, that is, there is a professional qualification that there is no other option to save the patient’s life or a vital organ, 2. There is a doctor’s decision that the disease will be treated in this way, 3. The person whose tissue and organ will be removed must have died at the time of this procedure, 4. The person whose organ or tissue will be removed must have given permission for this while he was alive or the consent of his relatives must be ensured, provided that he has not made a statement to the contrary while he is alive, 5. No fee will be charged in return for the organ or tissue to be taken, 6. The patient who will be treated must also consent to this transplant. Is stated  Again, in the same decision, it is stated that “the person to whom you will donate your organ is responsible for the good and evil he has committed.” Again, it is stated in the Holy Quran that “whoever gives life to one person will be rewarded as if he had given life to all people” (Surah al-Maidah, verse 32).