Did you know?

• During the past 60 years, more than 30,000 Australians, many of them children and teenagers, have undergone transplant surgery
• Australia has one of the world’s best transplant success rates
• However, we also have one of the world’s lowest organ and tissue donation rates
• An estimated 100 people die each year while waiting for an organ transplant due to the shortage of organ and tissue donors
• Organ and tissue donation can save and improve the quality of many lives
• One organ and tissue donor can help up to 10 people in need
• There is an urgent need to increase Australia’s donation rate

We are dismayed that in Australia in 2006 there were only 202 organ donations, down from 204 in 2004.  To date in 2007, there’s been a more disappointing level of 153 donors compared to 168 for the same first ten month period as last year.  At this rate we are heading for a 9% reduction in the total of organ donors in the full year of 2007. 

A kidney transplant provides recipients with the Gift of Life

Transplantation relies on the generosity of others to donate their organs. The decision to donate is best made now, while you are healthy, so you can advise and prepare family and doctor accordingly. Your family will be consulted after your death if organ donation is being considered.  

Remember to tell your partner, family or friends about your decision as evidence has repeatedly illustrated that if your intent about organ donation is known, then your family has a far easier task.  If they do not know, they are left with complex decision making process, at an already very difficult time.

Share your decision – share your life!   Register now!   Sign on to save lives

Australian Organ Donor Register  Become a registered organ donor by calling 1800 777203 freecall (8.30am - 5pm business hours), pick up a form at any Medicare or Centrelink office, or visit australiansdonate.org.au

"Don’t take your organs to heaven - Heaven knows we need them here!"

For people with kidney failure, organ transplantation may mean a second chance at life, or an improved quality of life. More than 11,000 Australians have received a Kidney Transplant in the last forty years, and improved survival rates now mean that most kidney recipients can look forward to many years of productive life. By choosing to record your intentions on the Donor Register, you will be making a contribution to the Australian community, even if you never end up becoming a donor. The process of recording your intentions on the Donor Register is simple. By doing so, you may save or improve the lives of up to ten other people.

Why should I consider donating my organs and tissue?

For people with serious or life-threatening illnesses, organ or tissue transplantation could mean a second chance at life. More than 30,000 Australians have received transplants in the last 60 years. Improved survival rates now mean that most organ or tissue recipients enjoy many years of high-quality life after their transplant. Deciding about living organ and tissue donation.

By choosing to record your consent to donate on the Donor Register, you could help up to 10 other people.

Why should I discuss donation with my family, partner, or close friend?

It is important to discuss your decision with your family, partner, or close friend. They will be an important part of the donation process and therefore should be made aware of your consent (or objection).

Your family member, partner or friend may be asked about your decision to be an organ and/or tissue donor to confirm that you had not changed your mind since you recorded your consent (or objection). They may be asked questions regarding your medical history to determine which organs and/or tissue may be suitable for transplantation. The more family members who know of your decision to donate organs and/or tissue for transplantation, the more likely it is that it will occur and the more reassured they are likely to be by your decision.   Read our Fact Sheet on Organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

While the Donor Register offers a simple and accessible method of recording a person's decision about donation, it is still important for potential donors to discuss the issue with their family, partner or friend. Where a potential donor has made their decision clear, experience shows their family, partner or friend will be more comfortable at the time donation is actively considered.   Read our Fact Sheet on Making a decision about living and organ and tissue donation. 

When can organ and tissue donation occur?

Organ Donation in most cases, a person may only be able to donate organs where they have been declared brain dead in an intensive care unit in hospital.

• Brain death is when blood circulation to the brain ceases, and the brain stops functioning and dies with no possibility of recovery.
• A series of tests carried out by two independent and appropriately qualified senior doctors establishes that brain death has occurred.
• Less than 1% of all people who die in hospital each year dies in this way and therefore can donate their organs.

People are sometimes confused about the difference between brain death and coma

Brain death is completely different from coma.  A patient in a coma is unconscious because their brain is injured in some way, but their brain can continue to function and may heal. Medical tests can clearly distinguish between brain death and coma.

Organ donation may also be possible after a person’s heart has stopped beating, referred to as “cardiac death”, but this is less common.

Tissue Donation

A far greater number of people have the opportunity to donate tissue for transplantation.  Unlike organs, tissue may be stored for a period of time and tissue donation does not require the donor’s death to have occurred in the same limited circumstances as organ donation for transplantation to be successful.

How are organs and tissue removed?

The removal of organs and tissue is no different from any other surgical operation, and is performed by highly skilled health professionals.  The donor’s body is always treated with dignity and respect.  The donation of organs and tissue does not alter the physical appearance of the body, nor does it affect funeral arrangements.

Who can donate organs and tissue?

Anyone can donate organs and tissue — there is no age limit on the donation of some organs and tissue.  While your age and medical history will be considered, you shouldn’t assume you are too young, too old, or not healthy enough.

If I have a tattoo, will I be able to donate organs and tissue?

Yes.  However, it is a good idea to disclose the location and design of any tattoos and whether the tattooist was registered to your family/friends, so that the information is passed onto the donor coordinators.

If I become an organ donor, will my organs and/or tissue be used for research purposes?

No. Separate and specific permission is required for donated organs and tissue to be used for research purposes.  Donated tissue and organs will not be used for medical research unless explicit written permission is granted.

Will I have to pay to be an organ donor?

There are no costs associated with becoming an organ donor.

Which organs and tissue can be donated?

Organs: heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas. Tissue: heart valves, bone tissue, skin tissue, eye tissue, pancreas tissue.

What if I’m already registered as a donor elsewhere?

It is important that you register your consent to be an organ and tissue donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register  - it is the only national register for organ and tissue donation for transplantation after death.

Even if you have previously expressed an intention to donate organs or tissue, for example by ticking a box on a driver’s licence renewal or registering elsewhere, it is very important that you update your details and register your consent to be an organ or tissue donor on the Donor Register.

By recording your consent on the Donor Register, you can be confident that your consent will be recognised should the circumstances arise when you may become an organ or tissue donor.

Who can access the information held on the Donor Register?

Information recorded on the Donor Register can be accessed via a secure Internet site by authorised personnel, who have signed confidentiality agreements covering the access and use of personal information. They are authorised by a management committee comprising representatives from Medicare Australia , the Department of Health and Ageing and state organ donation agencies.