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An cadaverous organ donor can either be a "heart-beating donor" (aka, brain dead) or a "non-heart beating donor". Those in the first category have suffered a severe head injury, meaning they will never regain consciousness or recover, but their heart is still pumping blood around their body. Whereas those in the other group have suffered some event which has stopped their heart - e.g a sudden cardiac arrest.

Those in the "non-heart beating donor" category are never used for heart transplants, since their heart has been the cause of their death; their heart does not work.

Only those in the "heart-beating donor" category are used for heart transplants; in these donors, the heart does not stop beating until it is removed from their body - the heart is not "dead" as such, but the donor is brain dead so has no use for a functioning heart. And just because the heart ceases to beat when outside of the body does not mean it is "dead".

Possibly your question should be "how long do you get between harvesting a heart for transplant until it becomes unusable?", since using a "dead" heart for a transplant would be utterly pointless. However, if that was your question, you get around 4-5 hours.

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13y ago

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If a donor recipient dies can the organ be re used?

Usually the donor's transplanted organ is not transplanted again - it puts a lot of stress on the organ. And depending on how long the donor recipient has been on immuno-suppression for, some of the other organs may not be used (it can affect the kidneys a lot).


Can anyone donate organs in the UK?

There are not age limits for becoming an organ donor, as long as you have no medical issues that would preclude you.


Can a recovering druggie be an organ donor if he or she has been sober long enough?

Anybody can register as an organ donor. However, if you are asking whether your organs would actually be considered for use upon your death (assuming you died in a suitable way), there is nothing to rule you out from becoming an organ donor, so longs as your organs are still functioning and you do not have any significant medical problems (e.g any form of hepatitis, vCJD, HIV etc...)


How readily is non-heart-beating-donation used?

Non-heart beating donation is used where possible, but the problem is as soon as the donor's heart stops beating, the organs deteriorate within their body. ( Obviously, NHBD is never used for heart transplants.) Usually kidneys can be transplanted from NHB donor's, however the donor needs to be injected with a preserving solution within minutes of the donor's heart stopping beating. (This usually means doing it before consent for organ donation has been obtained). This essentially means that the donor must die in a hospital and be treated by doctors with some foresight. Clearly, sometimes the odds of this happening are quite small, hence the low numbers of NHB donors. NHB donors pretty much have to die in a hospital, otherwise it can be quite tricky to assess how long they have been dead for, and how much the organs have deteriorate in that time. The conditions for a NHB donor to successfully donate organs are quite limiting, otherwise they would be used far more readily.


Why are organs put on ice when they are being transported long distances from the donor to the recipient?

Organs are put on ice during transport to slow down the metabolism of the cells, which helps preserve the organs and reduce the risk of damage or decay. This preservation technique extends the viability of the organs and increases the likelihood of a successful transplant.


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How long can a panda live till the panda dies?

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How long after someone dies can bill collector demand money from an Estate in North Carolina?

As long as the estate is still open. And if the debtor wasn't notified, they may be able to re-open the estate.


How long do the vice president have to wait after the president dies?

He does not have to wait; he can be the president as soon as he dies:)


How long do you live when organs start shutting down?

Not long!


How long can a heart be kept once removed from a donor?

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