1. ORGAN DONATION AND TRANSPLANT
Amy Woodard, RN, BSN, CNN, CCTC
UNC Center for Transplant Care

2. What can be donated? Heart Lung Liver Kidney Pancreas Intestine Cornea
Skin
Bone
Other tissues (muscle, tendons, etc.)

3. Where do we get organs from?
Deceased donors
Living donors
Heart
Lungs
Liver
Kidney
Intestines
Cornea
Skin
Bone
Other tissues
Lung
Liver
Skin
Kidney – most common

4. Why do people need a transplant?
Diseases or injuries cause their organ to fail
Some causes are congenital (they are born with problem)
Some causes are environmental (caused by actions of the person) – excessive use of alcohol (can cause liver, kidney failure), drug use (can cause liver, heart, kidney failure), and smoking (can cause lung failure), using diet pills or performance enhancing drugs (can cause kidney failure), burns (can cause need for skin)
Some are diseases developed later in life – diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, hepatitis, HIV

5. When an organ is failing……….
A patient comes to a hospital that specializes in transplant for an evaluation.
Each organ has different criteria to meet to be eligible for organ transplant
Lots of tests, lab tests, doctor visits

6. If approved for a transplant …..
If there is no living donor option, the person is placed on the waiting list for their organ
Wait time can vary from hours to days to years!
There are not enough organs donated to provide to all the people who need them!!!

7. U.S. Transplant Waiting Lists (as of 2/27/17)
956 patients waiting for a pancreas
1,391 patients waiting for a lung
4,049 patients waiting for a heart
14,673 patients waiting for a liver
106,161 patients waiting for a kidney
22 people die each day waiting for an organ
UNOS is the organization that keeps track of the waiting lists and organizes the distribution of organs from deceased donors

8. When an organ becomes available
UNOS notifies the transplant center
The transplant center calls the patient
The patient comes to the transplant center
The organ is brought to the transplant center from the donor hospital
Tracking down patients – zoo, ice storm
Donor does not get moved, just the organs

9. Surgery
Surgery takes anywhere from 3-9 hours to complete, depending on the organ type
The old organ is usually taken out to make room for the new one.
Next pics are gross

10. Heart

11. Heart

12. Kidney

13. Kidney

14. Liver

15. Lung

16. Lung

17. Face transplant? YES

18. Volunteer firefighter severely burned in 2001, received face transplant in 2015 in New York. The transplant extends from the top of the head, over his skull and down to the collarbones in front; in back, it reaches far enough down that only a tiny patch of his original hair remains. The transplant includes both ears.

19. After the surgery………
In the hospital for several days (depending on organ type)
Discharged to home to recover for several weeks.
On Anti-rejection medicine the rest of your life
Back to the doctor and transplant center for frequent visits
There can be complications, may have to go back into hospital. Sometimes more surgery is needed.
If the organ does not work, the patient will need another one
Will go back through process again, back on waiting list again

20. Success Rates Dependent on: Quality of organ received from donor
Overall health of recipient
Taking medicine properly
Diet/healthy lifestyle
Following up with medical team as directed

21. George Lopez actor, comedian
Received a kidney transplant from his wife in 2005

22. Amy Purdy
Actress, professional snowboarder, and "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Amy Purdy received a kidney transplant from her father when she was 21.

23. Sarah Hyland, actress
Had kidney dysplasia, her father gave her his kidney in 2012

24. Alonzo Mourning NBA basketball star
Received a kidney transplant in He returned to play in the NBA until 2007, when he suffered a leg injury. He retired in 2009, due to that injury, NOT his transplant.

25. Tracy Morgan, actor, comedian
Tracy Morgan received a kidney transplant from his friend in 2011

26. My job as a transplant coordinator
Kidney nurse
Daily: work with patients that want to be a living kidney donor to someone.
Other: on call 3 days a month.
I am notified by UNOS of an organ offer. I get to call patients when there is a kidney available for them.
I organize the patients arrival, emergency room, surgeons, medical doctors, lab, operating room staff, organ transport to our hospital, etc.

27. Can you be an organ donor? YES!!
Talk to your family about donating your organs. Are your parents organ donors?
When you go for your driver’s license, you will be asked if you want to be an organ donor. If you say yes, a heart will go on your license beside your birthday.
You can register as an organ donor on line at
Once you are an adult, you can consider being a living organ donor if you know someone in need.

28. Jason Ray UNC student/mascot, organ donor
Jason was hit by a car in His family donated his organs. Let’s hear his story….

29. Thank you!