IOPO®: Indiana Organ Procurement Organization, Inc.

FAQs

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about donation and transplantation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Indiana Donor Registry?

The Indiana Donor Registry is a secure online database that houses all decisions made by individuals to become organ and tissue donors upon their death. The secure database holds all online registrations and receives daily updates or new records from the BMV regarding donor designation.

Who maintains the Indiana Donor Registry?

Donate Life Indiana is legislatively charged with maintaining the donor registry. Donate Life Indiana is an alliance of organ and tissue donation recovery and support agencies in Indiana. Members include: Indiana Organ Procurement Organization, Children's Organ Transplant Association, Community Tissue Services, Indiana Lions Eye and Tissue Transplant Bank and Donor Services of Indiana.

How is the Indiana Donor Registry Funded?

When Hoosiers renew their vehicle registrations or register new vehicles they can donate financially to support Donate Life Indiana. Customers should tell the customer service representative at the BMV they wish to contribute to support this fund. You may also contribute when you renew online or register a vehicle at an auto dealership.

What if I want to change my donor designation?

You may do so at any time. There will be a small charge at the BMV, but you may go online to www.donatelifeindiana.org to edit or register your decision, notify your family via email and send emails to your friends to encourage them to register their decision.

If it is my decision to be a donor, why do I need my parent's signature?

Until you reach the legal age of 18, a parent or guardian must give their signed permission for health care decisions. It is still a very important personal decision that you are making. Indiana residents renew their driver license every four years. A teenager's decision at age 16 will impact their lives until the time they renew their license four years later. It is a vital decision teens make that will have a lasting impact on their lives, because once they turn 18 the decision they made at age 16 is supported by the Indiana Donor Choice Law.

Can my parents still say no to donation after I have registered my Donation Decision?

Yes. Indiana law requires written consent from a legal guardian for an individual under the age of 18 to become a donor. That is why it is so important to discuss your decision with your family. Many families change their decision to support donation when they know that their children want to be organ and tissue donors.

Which Organs Can Be Donated?

Currently, someone may be able to donate his or her heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, and small intestine depending on their age, medical condition and circumstances at the time of death. Each organ is evaluated for possible donation individually. Many patients who are organ donors may also be candidates for tissue donation following the organ recovery.

Who can become an organ donor?

All people - regardless of age - can be considered as potential organ donors. Each patient is considered individually after death has been declared. You simply must let your family know that your wishes are to become a donor. Sign an organ donor card and the Indiana Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, and let your family see that you support organ donation. This way, there will be no confusion regarding your wishes to donate.

What is brain death?

Brain death is a diagnosis of death that is both medically and legally recognized. Brain death occurs when blood flow to the brain stops for an extended period of time. Without blood, the brain has no source of oxygen and without oxygen, the brain begins to die. A brain dead individual has been defined as one "who has either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brains" (Uniform Determination of Death Act, promulgated in 1980). Brain death may be caused by any condition that stops blood flow to the brain. Examples include acute injuries such as automobile accidents or when a blood vessel bursts in the brain. These conditions cause the brain to swell. If this swelling is not controlled, blood flow to the brain will stop, permanently resulting in brain death. For more information about Brain Death, log onto www.braindeath.org .

Is there an age limit to be able to donate?

There is no age limit for organ donation. The Donor Network has successfully procured organs from donors as young as a few days to adults in their 90s. A patient's medical history is more important than the age of the donor. If a patient has a normal functioning organ and is in good health, then organ donation is certainly an option.

What kind of diseases affect donation?

Presence of active cancer, active HIV or active infection would absolutely rule-out donation. If a person has a history of Hepatitis, more information would need to be obtained at the time of death. Patients who have Hepatitis C may still donate organs to a patient who also has Hepatitis C. The same is true for Hepatitis B - but this happens less frequently.

Will my decision affect my medical care?

No. There are strict legal guidelines that must be carefully followed before brain death can be declared and organs removed. The doctors who treat a patient at the time of death are in no way involved with those responsible for organ removal. Organ donation is considered only after every effort has been made to save the patient's life.

Will my family have to pay for donation?

There is no charge to the donor family. All hospital costs related to the organ recovery are paid for by the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO).

When must organs be removed?

Organs must be removed as soon as possible after the determination of brain death, while circulation is being maintained artificially. Tissue may be removed within 12 to 24 hours.

Will organ donation interfere with funeral arrangements?

Organ donation does not disfigure the body or delay funeral arrangements. The organs are removed with respect in an operating room under sterile conditions.

How is a potential recipient identified?

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) maintains a national computerized list of donors and candidates for transplant. Recipients are identified through a comprehensive evaluation of medical compatibility, including size and blood type, medical urgency and location. The social or financial situations of the recipients are not factors in determining who receives a transplant.

Will the recipient know who donated the organ?

The identity of the donor and the donor's family are guarded. A recipient can know the donor's sex, approximate age and state in which he/she lived. The identity of the recipient is also protected. However, under certain conditions when both the donor family and the recipient have indicated an interest and have waived their right to privacy, they may be introduced to each other through certain IOPO programs.

How successful are organ transplants?

Success rates for vital organs average 80 - 90 percent, and over 90 percent for various types of tissue transplants.

What happens when there is a need for an organ and insurance will not cover it?

Most organ transplants are covered by third party reimbursement insurance and Medicaid or Medicare. In some instances, there may be an insurance cap whereby the member is only eligible for a certain amount of funding for surgical procedures. In those cases, every transplant program has social workers who will investigate those cases and support the patient in terms of writing special requests and/or petitioning the cap, so that the patient can receive the transplant. In Indiana, we have seldom heard of patients needing life-saving organs that have been turned down because of insurance limits.

Which factors are considered, (and in what order), when you decide who gets an available organ donation?

Organs are placed according to six standard criteria.

  1. Severity of illness
  2. Time waiting (when were they placed on the list)
  3. Blood type
  4. Tissue Type
  5. Size (Organs must fit properly in the thoracic cavity).
  6. Location (Placement in the nation goes according to regions. Indiana is in UNOS Region 10 which includes Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Therefore, when we recover organs in Indiana, we make every effort to place them in Indiana. The number of miles away from the transplant center are included in the patient's placement criteria on the list.)

Do organ procurement organizations such as IOPO have an ethics committee?

Organ procurement organizations have a standing ethics committee, but also regroup if necessary for a particular case. In every region there is an ethics committee for procurement. Also, every hospital has an ethics committee that meets on a case by case basis depending on the particular circumstances associated with a donor case. The national organization (United Network for Organ Sharing - UNOS) also has a very active ethics committee.

Do you have details about how many people in Indiana are waiting for specific organs?

We have statistics on every aspect of donation. You can also access that information through the www.UNOS.org website, www.optn.org or ours at www.donatelifeindiana.org.

If there are no compatible recipients in Indiana, how is it decided where the organ goes?

We access a computerized list of all patients waiting for a transplant and the list will direct us. The manager of that list is the United Network for Organ Sharing. In the U.S. we place organs locally, then regionally, then nationally. Because of time constraints and the viability of the organ, we make every effort to offer organs to centers closest to Indiana or the organ procurement center where it was procured. As an example, an organ may go to Chicago or Cincinnati next, and so on. We would not offer it to, let's say, California, because that is too far and it takes too long to fly an organ out that distance. Each organ has time limitations for viability. Therefore, time is of the essence in placement.

Are Hoosiers the first consideration in organs available in Indiana or is it a national need basis?

Yes, Hoosiers are first in line for Indiana-recovered organs. There are special circumstances, however, in regards to kidneys that mandate when a kidney matches a recipient's tissue type and all antigens exactly. Then we are obligated through policy to send the kidney to the person that matches it perfectly, even if that means California. If we didn't place it this way, it would be like having an identical twin and denying the other person to receive the perfect kidney match. Identical matches have much higher success rates.

Will my family be charged for donation?

No. All costs related to organ and tissue donation are paid by the recovery agencies.

If I have a disease such as cancer, hepatitis or diabetes, can I donate?

Regardless of any disease or medical condition you may have, be sure to register your donation decision and share it with your family. Each case is evaluated at the time of death to determine medical suitability for donation.

Am I too old to be a donor?

Most anyone from birth to age 80 and beyond can be a donor. Medical professionals will determine the possibility of donation at the time of death.

Will my medical care be affected because of my decision to donate?

No. The quality of medical and nursing care will not change, regardless of your decision. All patients will continue to receive the excellent care they deserve, because permission for donation is only effective in the event of death.

If I am a donor, will it change my appearance or funeral plans?

Donation does not normally change the appearance of the donor or affect funeral plans. Through the entire donation process the body is treated with care, respect and dignity.

How can I be sure my donation decision will be honored?

Register your decision to donate on your driver license/state identification card or through the Indiana Donor Registry website - www.donatelifeindiana.org. Discuss your decision to donate with your family. If you are 18 years or older your family's consent will not be required, but knowing that your decision is carried out can be a comfort to your loved ones.

What organs and tissues can be donated?

Organs and tissues that can be donated include the following:

Organs Tissues
Kidney Corneas/Eyes
Liver Skin
Heart Bone
Lung Heart Valves
Pancreas Tendons
Lower Intestines  

What will happen to my donated organs?

A national system is in place to distribute organs fairly. Buying and selling of organs is illegal.

Who can be an organ and tissue donor?

All individuals are considered potential donors. As an Indiana citizen, your decision is legally your "first person consent" for donation. It's important to register your decision and then share that information with your family.

What does brain death mean?

Brain death is an established medical and legal diagnosis of death. It is the complete and permanent cessation (stopping) of all brain function. It means that, as a result of severe injury to the brain, the body's blood supply to the brain is blocked, and the brain dies. Brain death is permanent and irreversible. A physician can confirm brain death beyond a doubt, using a strict neurological examination.

How do they know you are really brain dead?

A physician conducts the required medical tests to make the diagnosis of brain death. These tests are based on sound and accepted medical guidelines. Among other things, the tests include a clinical examination to show that the patient has no brain reflexes and cannot breathe on his or her own. Other tests are also done to confirm the absence of blood flow to the brain or brain activity.

When must the organs/tissues be removed?

Organs must be removed as soon as possible after the determination of brain death, usually within 8 to 16 hours. Donated tissue must be removed within 12 hours of death.

Can I change my mind about being a donor?

Yes. You can remove yourself from the registry at any time. It's important to also inform your family.

Can organs/tissues be transplanted between races and sexes?

In most cases, yes. Organ size and blood type are critical to match donor and recipient hearts, livers and lungs. Genetic makeup between kidney donors and recipients is more critical; due to genetic makeup, African-Americans will "match" better with a kidney donated from an African-American than any other race -- as will Asians to Asians, etc.

What happens to organs that are not usable for transplant?

Donated organs that cannot be used for transplant will not be removed during the donation surgery unless permission has been given to use them for research.