How do hospitals get organs for organ transplants?

Answer 1

From Organ donors who die and have useable organs. This is a voluntary decision the person made before their death, or by family decision after death. The typical organs harvested in a living donor situation are:

• kidney

  This is the most frequent type of living organ donation. We have two kidneys and can live healthy lives with just one.

• liver

  Individuals can donate a segment of the liver, which has the ability to regenerate and regain full function.

• lung

  Although lung lobes do not regenerate, individuals can donate a lobe of one lung.

• intestine

  Although very rare, it is possible to donate a portion of your intestine.

• pancreas

  Individuals can also donate a portion of the pancreas.

Organs that can be taken after death, including the ones above are:

• heart
• A domino transplant makes some heart-lung recipients living heart donors. When a patient receives a heart-lung "bloc" from a deceased donor, his or her healthy heart may be given to an individual waiting for a heart transplant. Extremely rare, this procedure is used when physicians determine that the deceased donor lungs will function best if they are used in conjunction with the deceased donor heart.

• Skin
• Corneas

Answer 2

The first step they do is to mobilise the failed organ from the patient. As soon as this has been achieved, it can be taken out, and a new organ can be attached to the veins, arteries and ducts that the other one was using. (Sometimes these veins, arteries and ducts may have to be reformed slightly, if they were also slightly diseased). As soon as that has been achieved, the patient is then sewn up (with a few temporary drains in place, to reduce fluid collection).

By the way, in the interests of accuracy "doctors" do not do transplants, "surgeons" do transplants (and usually do not have the prefix "doctor" anywhere, because in the UK this means they are not a qualified surgeon). Doctors are generally the ones who give drug advise and healthcare before and after transplant, since this is not normally the surgeons field of interest.