Peggy Newhart Dr

Peggy Newhart
Dr. Koster
Writing 102
19 April 1999

Transplantation Myths

“I am waiting for someone to die." These are the words that more than 60,000 people in the United States say each day while waiting for a kidney, liver, pancreas, heart, heart-lung, or lung transplant (LifeShare). These were also the words that I said every day for six weeks as a patient on the heart transplant list and again for 14 months on dialysis awaiting a kidney transplant. I was looking for a hero to give me a second chance at life. Time was running out for me and many others. We were waiting for a transplant to either save our lives or to allow us to lead a better quality of life. But because of the donor shortage, many will die while on these lists.

One of the reasons for the donor shortage is the many myths and misconceptions that exist. Many people have not personally met someone that has had a transplant or the families of donors. Myths often can be harmful. According to Shannon DeLuca, R.N., of Carolinas Medical Center Organ Procurement team, organ transplantation cannot succeed without the participation and support of the majority of the population. If myths continue to prevent full support for donation, it could lead to the death of thousands of people who might otherwise be leading productive and happy lives (DeLuca). Also, healthy people never know when chronic illness will strike. The person who is against transplantation today may be possibly on the list for an organ in the future.

Most organ donors are victims of accidents that cause fatal head injuries, such as car wrecks in which drivers or passengers are not wearing seat belts, for example, or gunshot wounds. Because this is such a tragic and often unnecessary fate, families of victims are not willing to discuss organ donation at this time. They may feel that their family will not receive the best medical care and that harvesting organs might be more important to physicians than keeping them alive.

In fact, a physician must always look out for what is best for his or her patient and treat them accordingly. Only when brain death occurs is a patient legally declared dead. Acording to most of the sources I consulted, this occurs when extensive tests, including radiological tests to determine lack of blood flow to the brain, and clinical conditions that include normal body temperature, normal blood pressure, and lack of barbiturate sedatives in the blood, show that the brain is destroyed and can never work again. In most cases, there need to be two attending physicians that will both attest to brain death (Rosenberg and Synderman 98).

This myth is a real concern to thousands of potential donors and is expressed quite often. However, the fact is that there are enough safeguards to prevent my bias from entering into the care of the patient. Also, the organ procurement teams are not even notified of the patients or have no role in their care until after they are declared dead. Another concern that is often heard is about the funeral service of an organ donor. There is the notion that if one donates their organs that it is impossible to have an open casket funeral. Thousands of potential donors may be lost because of this myth. The surgical team that removes the organs for transplant takes great care and give the utmost respect to the body of the donor. They are careful in removing the organs for donation so as not to damage the body in any way. After harvest, the body can be taken to a funeral home. The funeral is not delayed in anyway and the person will look the same as in life.

Another concern is that organ recipients will acquire their donor's characteristics. This has been in the media recently and comes from organ transplant recipients themselves. This myth as never been scientifically proven. Transplanted organs do not have a memory. So what is the explanation for this myth? Ms. DeLuca claims, "The power of suggestion may play a role in this. The recipient may have overheard something about the donor. They then transfer that thought to their lives and activities" (DeLuca). One answer to this myth may be the transplant itself. Before receiving an organ a patient is so sick that participation in normal activities such as sports, walking, or working is prohibited . They often have not participated in these for so long that they may seem new, thus thinking that they have acquired the donor's liking for that activity.

Another myth that has surfaced because of the media was the urban legend of a man who had a few drinks and woke up to find that his kidney had been removed. It is highly unlikely that this procedure could have been done in secrecy. First of all, there is no black market in this country for organs and it is illegal to sell your organs. According to Mike Holloway, the National Organ Transplant Act (Public Law 98-507) prohibits the sale of human organs. Violators are subject to fines and imprisonment (1). The reason for this law is that Congress was concerned that selling of organs might lead to inequitable access to organs. The wealthy would have an unfair advantage over poorer people.

Also, the complexity of allocating organs would make stealing organs impossible. There is a complex system of marching donors with recipients, which includes blood and tissue typing, and size of the donor/recipient. The need for highly skilled medical professionals to perform the surgery and the need for modem medical facilities and support necessary for transplantation to work make this myth highly unlikely.

Racial discrimination has been a problem for organ donation for a long time. Whether they believe the myths heard about transplantation or for whatever reasons, African Americans have traditionally not supported organ donation. However, when the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) places people on the waiting list, race does not play a part in the allocation of organs. If a donor's family wanted their loved ones' organs to be transplanted into a person of a particular race, the organ procurement team would tell them that they could not guarantee this and would decline to proceed with the donation under those terms. Fair allocation needs to be made and does not look at person's heritage, sex, social status, or race. Dr. Donald Berling of Metrolina Nephrology Associates states that African Americans made up 12% of the population and 12% of kidney donors in 1996. Yet, they received 21% of the kidneys donated (Berling). Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for End Stage Renal Disease (kidney failure which leads to dialysis) and African‑Americans suffer from this disease more frequently than whites. It is important to increase the minority donor pool so that good matches can be made as frequently as possible for minority patients.

Myths must be dispelled in order to increase donors. If you hear a myth that sounds too farfetched to be true, it probably is. Please try to find out the facts before making a decision. The decision to give the precious gift of life through donation is frequently born out of a tragedy. Family members are overwhelmed with their loss. Take time before a tragedy occurs to inform your loved one of your wish to be an organ donor--to share the gift of life.

Remember, your heart could beat for someone else, your lungs could breathe for someone else, your kidneys could free two people from dialysis, your liver could save the life of a patient, your corneas could give sight to two people, your bone could help repair damaged joints, and your skin could help many burn victims. You could be a hero to someone and give them a second chance at life. Failure to donate your organs will prevent many from leading productive and happy lives. Carry an organ donor card.