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Organ donation helps bridge the gap between life and death for numerous patients. What if the key to saving someone’s life could be as simple as a selfless decision to donate? As per the Organ Procurement of Transplant Network (OPTN, 2015), the organs obtained from one deceased donor can provide life to approximately eight people.
In India, despite global efforts to improve organ donation, there remains a significant demand-supply gap. However, India ranks third in the world in terms of performing organ transplants, including living-donor liver transplants, becoming a vital option for many in need.
Organs can be either obtained from a non-living donor (i.e., the organ is procured from a person who is near death or has died) or a living donor. Living donors are of two types: directed donors and non-directed donors. Directed donors are those who provide their organs for transplantation to specific recipients, preferably to close relatives or friends.
On the other hand, non-directed donors do not name specific recipients and are selected based on blood type compatibility and medical need. Common living donations include living donor kidney transplants and living donor liver transplants, and rarely, lungs, intestines, and pancreatic segments are transplanted
