Myths and Facts about organ donation

Myth: If doctor knows I am a donor then the doctor will not try to save your life.

This is complete myth, the doctors who transplant organs is entirely different team from the doctors who treat you or operate upon you. Doctors send you to be operated upon only when they exhaust all the hopes and efforts to save you.

Myth: My body will be cut into parts and will be mutilated and I will be handed over pieces to my family members for funeral.

This is entirely wrong, specialized surgeons perform the operation and after taking out organs the wounds are stitched back as in normal operation. The body of donor is not treated harshly but with all due respect and dignity.

Myth: The time taken for the operation will delay my funeral process.

The operation is done quickly to preserve the organ so it won’t take much time and there won’t be much delay in the funeral process.

Myth: I am too aged to donate my organ.

Any healthy individual can donate organs or tissues which can be used to save life of other needy individuals who are living in the hope of getting an organ and living some more years. The age is not taken into consideration but the physical condition is taken into consideration.

Myth: What if I recover from brain death?

Brain death and comas are different; an individual who goes into comma can come out of it but not from brain death. Brain death is irreversible and final.

Myth: My family will be made to pay for donor operation.

Family or anybody else has not to pay anything for the operation.

Myth: Only heart, kidney, eyes and liver can be donated.

Not only these but other organs such as pancreasdefine, lungs, liver and intestines can also be donated. Then the tissue such as skin, bone, heart valves and tendons can be also donated.

Myth: I have filled out the form being an organ donor so I don’t have to tell my family about it.

You should tell your family about your wish so that after death your wishes are carried out or if your family didn’t know about it and by the time your will is read it will be too late.