The Organ Transplant Process

THE TRANSPLANT PROCESS

Diagnosis

Many diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, can damage organs or other necessary body parts. More than half of heart transplant patients were normal and healthy until they caught a viral infection (a cold or flu) that attacked their heart. Vital organs, such as hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys, can be replaced for a person to live. Tissue transplant, such as corneas and tendons, can help someone return to a normal life.

Transplant Evaluation

A doctor determines that a patient needs a transplant and the patient is evaluated at a transplant center. Transplant candidates are placed on the national transplant waiting list if they meet medical, psychological and financial requirements. Medicare pays for all kidney transplants and some heart and liver transplants. Some, but not all, insurance companies pay for transplants.

Waiting

Depending on how sick the transplant candidate is, they may wait from one day to several years for a transplant. Patients who need kidney transplants can have dialysis treatments to help them while waiting. Thousands of transplant candidates die each year on the waiting list.

The Call

New Mexico Donor Services calls transplant centers to find out if the donated organs will be suitable for their transplant candidates. Once an organ is accepted by the transplant center, the transplant candidate is informed of the organ match. The transplant doctor makes sure that patient is ready for the transplant surgery.

Transplant

The patient is readied for surgery and the transplant surgeons await the arrival of the donated organ from the donor's hospital. A organ has to be transplanted within a few hours for the operation to be successful. The transplant operation takes a few hours.

Recovery

Transplant recipients can leave the hospital three days to two weeks after the transplant. Others may need to stay in the hospital longer. Because the human body naturally attacks the newly transplanted organs, patients must take medications to prevent their bodies from rejecting or destroying their new organs. Most recipients live normal and active lives after transplants. However, they must take medicine and have regular check-ups for the rest of their lives.

Writing to The Donor Family

Many recipients write letters to the donor families to let them know how well they are doing. These letters are very difficult to write because someone whom they've never met, has given them a new lease on life. New Mexico Donor Services facilitates correspondence between recipients and donor families in New Mexico. Please see the Donor Family Resources page for more information on how NMDS can assist you.