Who is eligible for organ transplantation

The results reflected in these reports represent the individual and collective work of the provincial and territorial partners, organ donation programs, and transplant programs as well as the national efforts led by Canadian Blood Services.

Am I eligible? Register your intent to donate. Can I be a donor if I am older or have a medical condition? Tissue donation is possible for nearly everyone, even when organ donation is not possible.

Eye and tissue donors can improve the lives of up to 75 patients. You are six times more likely to need an organ transplant than to become an organ donor. Transplant programs in the United States evaluate the suitability of potential transplant candidates using listing criteria developed by the transplant programs. The criteria are both medical and non-medical in nature. The use of non-medical criteria in evaluating patients for transplantation can affect the decision to list a potential transplant candidate for transplantation.

This white paper offers an analysis of ethical considerations associated with non-medical criteria commonly used by transplant programs in listing decisions. It addresses use of life expectancy, potentially injurious behaviors, adherence, repeat transplantation, incarceration status, immigration status, and social support as transplant evaluation criteria. It also incorporates a section devoted to pediatric, adolescent, and young adult candidates for transplantation as these groups warrant separate and special consideration.

This list is neither exhaustive nor immutable. Some factors the transplantation community has identified as important, such as intellectual disability and financial considerations, are not addressed in this white paper. Intellectual disability considerations are under review at the federal level, and thus not addressed here. Additionally, ethical considerations associated with the use of financial requirements for transplantation may also be considered for additional analysis in the future.

Non-medical factors relevant to transplant evaluations and listing decisions often include, but may not be limited to, psychosocial factors e. Their use is often supported as an effort to ensure optimal stewardship of a scarce resource. Yet, ethical concerns with using non-medical criteria to evaluate potential transplant candidates involve equity and justice.

The elements of non-medical transplant candidate evaluation should reflect the most current evidence available and their use should reflect a balance of ethical principles of utility, justice, and respect for persons.

Importantly, these factors should be consistently applied to all potential transplant candidates, while ensuring the evaluation process is transparent, evidence-based where available , and revisable. This analysis relies on the three ethical principles identified in the Ethical Principles in the Allocation of Human Organs , which include utility, justice, and respect for persons.

The principle of respect for persons primarily conveys the importance of the concept of autonomy. Transplant evaluations should balance justice requirements and respect for persons with utility considerations, including efforts to avoid futility. The OPTN recognizes that, to support centers in reducing reliance on non-medical criteria, transplant center reporting metrics may need to be revised to increase emphasis on pre-transplant access measures and do a better job risk-adjusting for post-transplant outcomes.

The OPTN has reviewed and revised its historical position statement on transplant candidacy for considerations, including non-medical criteria, on several occasions, most recently in In deciding to pursue a revised version, it was determined that there may be aspects of the version that are outdated or could benefit from revision and updates. The following discussion offers an overview of the ethical challenges associated with the use of non-medical criteria. Supported largely by the principle of utility, as discussed in the Ethical Principles in the Allocation of Human Organs , potential transplant candidates with longer life expectancy may, with a successful transplant, achieve the greatest benefit in terms of years of life saved.

There are also legal limitations such as those articulated in the Age Discrimination Act of , [15] which preclude federally funded programs, like the OPTN, from engaging in age discrimination.

In kind, the Affordable Care Act prohibits health care programs or activities from discriminating on the basis of age alone. The financial counselor will help determine if you can afford to pay for a transplant , as well as your ability to pay for the numerous and expensive medications that help keep your body from rejecting the organ after surgery.

Not being able to afford a transplant does not mean that you will not be considered for surgery. The social workers and financial specialists will help determine if you are eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or other assistance.

If your disease is the result of addictive or abusive behaviors, such as cirrhosis caused by alcoholism, you will be expected to be free of such behaviors. Transplant centers vary in their policies regarding the length of time a patient must be drug-free to qualify for a transplant, but most will test for drugs regularly. Social workers will help you seek counseling and support groups for your addictions if needed. An inability to control addictive behaviors will exclude patients from being listed for a transplant.

The transplant center will be looking for indications that you are able to manage your health and that you care about maintaining your health whenever possible. The post-transplant regime is rigorous and requires diligence; your ability to follow your current regimen will be considered an indication of your willingness to take care of yourself after surgery.

Non-compliance with important health maintenance instructions, such as drinking alcohol while in treatment for a liver problem, could exclude an individual from the liver transplant list. You will be notified if you have been approved for transplantation once the evaluation has been completed and the different members of the team have made a determination of your suitability. The decision is not made by anyone person; the team as a whole decides if you will make a good candidate for a successful transplant.

If you are approved, you will be expected to maintain an ongoing schedule of appointments designed to keep you in the best possible health during your wait and to monitor your organ function.

For some organs, the level of organ function or the extent of your organ failure helps determine your place on the waitlist, so recent lab results are essential. Being listed for a transplant is a very exciting time, but it is essential to remember that most transplant recipients have an extended wait before their surgery. It is not uncommon to wait several years for a kidney transplant once you are diagnosed with kidney failure , for example.

If the transplant center declines to add you to the list of patients waiting for a transplant, you have some options. At some centers, you can appeal the decision and attempt to have the team reconsider its decision. You can also be evaluated at a different transplant center that may have different criteria for selecting patients.

The process to be listed for a transplant is rarely a quick one. It typically takes months to have completed all of the medical testings, financial and emotional counseling and other steps required to be approved for transplantation. By continuing to use this website you agree to our use of cookies. Read more about our cookies. Hi there, we see you're using OS , why not try our app?

Skip to main content. Helping you to decide About organ donation What can you donate? Who can donate? Ireland Crown dependencies. Become a living donor Donating your kidney Donating part of your liver Bone and amniotic membrane donation. Get involved News Campaigns Share your experience. You are here: Home Helping you to decide About organ donation Who can donate? Who can become an organ donor? Organ donation and eligibility. Anyone can register a decision to become an organ donor after death, there is no age limit.

Age limit. Is there an age limit for becoming an organ donor? There is no age limit for becoming an organ donor.