consequences of Organ donation
The Consequences of Organ Donation
The patient may either wait 3.7 years on dialysis before receiving a kidney, or be one of 229 Canadians that died waiting for an organ donation in 2010 (Ogilvie). Organ donation, through surgery, helps to save the lives of individuals with organ failure. With a high demand and low supply of organs, there are a considerable number of people on the waiting list. Even with different consent policies on organ donations, such as opt-out (where it is assumed one is willing to donate unless explicitly stated), there are not enough organs voluntarily offered. This causes a black market for specific types of organs to open up for those who are willing to pay. Many of these organs are live donations, where the donor is still alive when the organ is being transplanted. If the transplant is not done with a live donation, the patient is pronounced “brain-dead” before they can have their organ(s) removed. The organ needed, before it is taken out of the donor’s body, must be kept functioning. Many concerns are raised due to the nature of organ donation and the transplant itself. Organ donation, while lifesaving, should be made illegal in Canada as there are issues related that cause ethical concerns and additional problems.
The main ethical concern with organ donation arises due to the dispute over brain death and cardiac death. Some consider brain death to be when only parts of the brain, such as the brainstem, are not active or working. Others state that brain death occurs when the whole brain is not functioning (Elliot 30). Cardiac death, on the other hand, is what death is typically seen as; the heart and other bodily functions all cease to work. Without the individual being allowed to have died a cardiac death, the question as to whether or not the organ transplant procedure is ethical is raised. Patients are brain dead when undergoing the transplant, but the heart and the organs needed are kept functioning. There is controversy over
The patient may either wait 3.7 years on dialysis before receiving a kidney, or be one of 229 Canadians that died waiting for an organ donation in 2010 (Ogilvie). Organ donation, through surgery, helps to save the lives of individuals with organ failure. With a high demand and low supply of organs, there are a considerable number of people on the waiting list. Even with different consent policies on organ donations, such as opt-out (where it is assumed one is willing to donate unless explicitly stated), there are not enough organs voluntarily offered. This causes a black market for specific types of organs to open up for those who are willing to pay. Many of these organs are live donations, where the donor is still alive when the organ is being transplanted. If the transplant is not done with a live donation, the patient is pronounced “brain-dead” before they can have their organ(s) removed. The organ needed, before it is taken out of the donor’s body, must be kept functioning. Many concerns are raised due to the nature of organ donation and the transplant itself. Organ donation, while lifesaving, should be made illegal in Canada as there are issues related that cause ethical concerns and additional problems.
The main ethical concern with organ donation arises due to the dispute over brain death and cardiac death. Some consider brain death to be when only parts of the brain, such as the brainstem, are not active or working. Others state that brain death occurs when the whole brain is not functioning (Elliot 30). Cardiac death, on the other hand, is what death is typically seen as; the heart and other bodily functions all cease to work. Without the individual being allowed to have died a cardiac death, the question as to whether or not the organ transplant procedure is ethical is raised. Patients are brain dead when undergoing the transplant, but the heart and the organs needed are kept functioning. There is controversy over
Cited: Elliot, JM. “Brain Death.” Trauma 5(2003):23-42. Web. 14 March 2012. Hartwell, Lori. “Global Organ Donation Policies Around the World.” Contemporary Dialysis & Nephrology (1999): n.pag. Web. 13 March 2012. Howsepian, Avak Albert. “Controversies About Brain Death.” The Journal of the American Medical Association 302(2009): 380-382. Web. 14 March 2012. “Legal and illegal organ donation” The Lancent 369.9577(2007): 1901. Web. 20 March 2012. Loewy, Enrich and Roberta Loewy. Textbook of Healthcare Ethics, 2nd Edition. Springer, 2005. Web. 13 March 2012. Lundin, Susanne