With more than 104,000 people on the transplant waiting list in the United States, the need for organ donors is more urgent than ever.
“Despite the significant number of transplants performed each year, there remains a large gap between the number of people needing a transplant and the organs available,” he said. Dr. Kevin HuangAbdominal transplant surgeon at Baylor Medicine. “In fact, this year there have been 16,146 donors and 32,433 transplants, but countless patients are still waiting.”
The need for abdominal organ transplants, especially liver and kidney transplants, is caused by a variety of health conditions. Liver transplants are often needed for patients with cirrhosis, liver cancer, or acute liver failure, and kidney transplants are most commonly needed for patients with end-stage renal disease due to diabetes, hypertension, or other chronic kidney disease.
“Kidney and liver disease are some of the most pervasive health problems facing us today,” said Huang, assistant professor of surgery. Abdominal transplant department at Baylor College of Medicine. “Organ donation offers patients suffering from these diseases a second chance at life.”
Organ transplants bring hope amidst immense sadness. “The field of transplantation is really remarkable,” he said. “One donor can save five to six lives. New techniques and technologies, such as donation after cardiac death and normothermic perfusion of organs, are also increasing the number of donors and allowing us to save even more lives.”
Traditionally, organ donations have primarily come from donors declared brain dead. However, donation after cardiac death expands the donor pool by allowing individuals whose heart has stopped to donate organs if certain conditions are met. This method has become an important source of life-saving organs. Normothermic perfusion is another advancement that allows organs to be kept in warm, oxygen-rich conditions outside the body, allowing them to remain viable for longer periods of time before transplantation.
“These techniques help preserve organ function and increase the number of organs available, increasing the chance of saving lives,” Huang said.
Dr. Abbas RanaAssociate Professor of Surgery in the Department of Abdominal Transplantation. study A study of the increase in years of life gained with each solid organ transplant found that organ transplants shorten 2.3 million life years, and each solid organ transplant adds an average of 4.3 years to the recipient's lifespan. These numbers reflect the profound impact organ donation has not only on recipients but also on their families and communities.
How can I help you?
There are several ways you can help save lives through organ donation.
- Sign up to become an organ donor. You can register at organization. By registering as a donor, you can make a difference in the lives of people waiting for a transplant.
- Become a living donor: Consider donating your kidney, or even part of your liver.
- Age is not a barrier. There are no age restrictions for donating or receiving organs, allowing more people to contribute to this cause.
“Through a transplant, we can transform the pain of losing a loved one into hope and new beginnings for others,” Huang said. “This is a powerful way to create a lasting legacy.”
By Tiffany Hurston, Michael E. DeBakey Surgical Communications Associate
