How Long After Death Can A Kidney Be Donated (And Why)?

Exact Answer: After 72 to 80 hours

Organ donations have never been an easy process. We are living in the twenty-first century and still organ donation is not normal in India. The main reason behind this is we people don’t want to donate our body or organ to someone else.

But if we think otherwise this is the purest form of humanity a person can show to another person. On today date, many accidents and sudden deaths are happening all around the world. A little bit of humanity can save their existence. When you donate an organ you gather lots of blessings in disguise. Organ donations can be done in many ways.

How Long After Death Can A Kidney Be Donated?

This is not an easy process. This process is time taking and you should be patient about the procedure. It is not one-day stuff. You can not go to a hospital and get your kidney transplanted. Transplantation is done on the patients who are now unable to survive even with the dilation procedure. You may go through a thorough examination before the process.

First, the patient goes to a transplantation center. Then his or her medical history is taken and some physical examination is done. After the patient is confirmed to be a healthy one who should be transplanted with a kidney, the process starts. First, the patient registers himself for transplantation. Then his name goes into the national organ donation list.

Factors that are considered during the procedure are blood type, tissue type, health conditions, the severity of health, distance, etc. The factors that are not considered during the procedure are race, color, religion, celebrities, gender, financial status, etc. No celebrity can get an organ overnight, he or she also has to list himself on the transplantation waiting list. This is a nationally perceived list for organ donation irrespective of caste, gender, etc. But the sad fact is there is a delay in the process so every day around ten to twenty people die due to the failure of the organ.

If a person is considered to be brain dead then there is another process for organ donation. When there is no function in the brain and the capacities can not be reversed then the person is known as brain dead. And he or she can donate organs.

Why Can A Kidney Be Donated So Long After Death?

A dead person can save multiple lives by donating his organs. A brain dead person who is dead by the brain stem cells but is still in a ventilator can also donate organs and save multiple lives. This can be done after discussing with their family members and relatives. If the person registered himself voluntarily in the organ donation list previously then the procedure becomes easy.

The nurse checks the list of organ donors. If he didn’t register voluntarily or with his wish then family members have the power of deciding on his behalf. The staff make sure that they agree to this and help in saving other people’s life. There is a certain time limit because after a time the organs start collapsing along with the body.

For a donation of a kidney, there are many procedures. First of all the blood group should be matched with the patient’s blood group. If the blood group and RH factor won’t match with the donor’s blood group then an antigen-antibody reaction arises and it can be fatal sometimes. The health condition of the patient is checked. The kidney of the donor must be healthy for donation. The surgical procedure starts within 72 to 80 hours before the body starts degrading.

The list of organ donations can be prioritized by some characteristics such as urgency, age, health conditions, location, availability, etc. The procedure is carried out by the transplant team’s observation. All of the above processes can take time so being patient in this period will help you through the process. Being calm in this situation is best for all.

Conclusion

Organ donations have never been an easy process in India and will never be. But being optimistic about this topic is what we require right now. You should consider that your donation can give a smile to multiple families. This is a blessing in disguise. This should be outspoken. Various organizations and people spread awareness about this.

But still, it is ignored by many people around the country. You should be educated enough to know the advantage behind this. A brain dead individual who is dead from a brain stem cell and is in a ventilator can save eight to nine persons lives easily. In western countries, about 75 to 80 percent of the population are interested in donating organs but the real donation rate is very low. It should be understood and contemplated for making a better world for everyone.

Reference

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-6143.2006.01587.x
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673610608276