donororgaan

In Dutch, donororgaan refers to an organ that is donated from a donor for transplantation into another person. In medical practice, donororgans typically include the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, and small intestine. Other tissues, such as corneas, bone, and skin, may be donated as well but are generally categorized separately from solid donororgans.

Donations can originate from deceased donors or living donors. Deceased donation usually occurs after brain death or circulatory death, and depends on the applicable consent laws. Living donation involves healthy individuals who donate a portion of an organ or an entire organ, such as a kidney or a liver segment, while preserving their own health.

The donation process involves evaluating the donor’s medical history, infectious disease status, cancer risk, and overall organ quality. If an organ is deemed suitable, an allocation system matches donororgans to recipients based on medical urgency, compatibility (blood type and tissue typing), size, and waiting time. Organ procurement organizations coordinate retrieval, preservation, and transport to the transplant center.

Consent and ethics are central to donororgaan programs. Legal frameworks vary by country, with some jurisdictions requiring explicit consent and others operating under presumed consent. Families are often asked to authorize donation, and allocation aims to balance fairness, transparency, and clinical benefit.

Outcomes and risks: recipients usually require lifelong immunosuppressive therapy to prevent rejection. Donor risk exists, particularly for living donors, though comprehensive screening minimizes harm. The persistent shortage of donororgaan supply drives policy discussions, public awareness, and donor registries to increase participation.