Organ donation - a step too far?

Hi BlueBelle In a post mortem or cremation or burial the deceased person isn't attached to machines keeping them "alive" and monitoring BP and Heart rate. Nor would most (not all) surgeons give anaesthesia. That's the bit I worry about. Until 100% of surgeons do this I feel reluctant to take the risk.
Hi Witzend Did the story say the lady was resusitated and could therefore tell her story? I of course agree with organ donation if the anaestetic criteria is made clear in law. Until then I would not of course expect to be given an organ myself. I couldn't be hypocritical in my choices. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind about donating, it's just that at the moment, personally, I don't feel comfortable with the proceedure. Best Wishes to you all.

It is important to treat dead people with respect. When I was a student nurse and being trained to dress dead bodies we had to not talk unless necessary, and handle the dead person with as much respect as if they were living.

I hope modern undertakers do likewise. And certainly anatomists and organ donation personnel should treat someone's dead body with respect and gratitude until the generously donated tissues are all used , and afterwards there should be a book of remembrance at the facility.

When death is imminent the vital organs will be on the point of closing down or actually closing down. When the heart is beating erratically or not at all the blood pressure will fall . An episode of very low blood pressure causes unconsciousness that's to say akin to fainting, except it's permanent. An unconscious person feels nothing , so whether they are officially 'dead' or not does not matter too much.

They didn’t want my MIL’s body (she would have been very indignant if she’d Known) but we understand that her remains would have been sent back when finished with. I wasn’t too keen on that thought.

I’ve carried a donor card since they were first introduced. I also worked on a dialysis unit and know how the hope of a possible donor keeps patients going and the difference it makes to their lives thereafter. They nearly all came back to the unit to thank the staff and encourage the other patients.

Slightly off at a tangent, I know, but I once read a short story where an woman of riper years was knocked down in the street and fatally injured. As she was finally wafted out of her body she had visions of all the separate people who were going to benefit from her various organs, from corneas to kidneys.
Sounds unbelievably corny but in fact it was so well written that it didn’t come across like that at all.

sorry if not diverted but reply to lemsip - it used to be the case that the univerisities etc would harvest the bits of the body they wanted but return the rest to the family for any funeral etc so still a cost. do you know when things changed ? i say this as more people would leave bodies to science if there was no requirement to pay for disposal of the remains afterwards

user77 surely you can use the same fears about burial or cremating or post mortem we can’t be sure we re dead
I m not understanding those reactions if the person is brain dead how can bodies wriggle it’s the brain that makes muscle movement isn’t it ? I don’t know though
What age is too old then ?

part of the change in legislation is so families can discuss their choices as to what happens to their organs when they die. despite the poor choice of words - my question is why would anybody want to override other people's choices ? my religion and my choice of what to do is not of anybody's business apart from mine. i am happy to donate most parts of my body as what use are they to me when dead? why should people consider the families views when it is the intention of the donor that should be at the forefront?

Sometimes I think a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Wish I wasn't aware of all the details of this or any other procedure.

Hi User77, I just can’t understand how the BP can go up without pain. I think I understand the body wriggling as a basic response to the knife, but not the BP. I’m probably just rubbish at science.
Anyway I’m certainly not going to have my name removed from the potential donor list, I used to carry a donor card anyway, although I lost it a while ago. I just don’t understand the science and I worry about it.

Hi Maddyone I thought I was in favour of organ donation too, but after reading the some surgeons are uncomfortable with not giving the doner anaesthesia I'm not so sure. The body is kept "alive" although they are brain dead. If heart rate and BP go up and the body wriggles surely this is a sign that the body is feeling pain. If it was law that every body had to have anaesthesia I wouldn't have a problem with it, but I'm not prepared to take that chance, after all there is no was the doner can complain later is there. Anaesthesia is not expensive so why not use it to be 100% sure no pain if felt.

My organs are no use as I am too old. I wanted to send my dead body for anatomy students but the university secretary insisted on calling me a cadaver.

Well to be honest I’m all for organ donation, why wouldn’t you want to do the most wonderful gift you could give to another person, a gift of longer life, I’ve carried a donor card for a very long time and so do my family

yes, if you leave your body to medical science you have no funeral costs.

I read that too User77 and I admit it makes me feel very uncomfortable. I’m no scientist, ‘O’ level Biology was the only science I exam I got, but how can a person wriggle if they’re dead? How can BP go up if they’re dead? I understand the heart has to be kept beating and blood circulating by machine in order to keep the organs in the best condition, but why the responses that staff can observe? I’m still puzzled.
I won’t opt out though nevertheless.

Thanks Oopsadaisy3 I've been researching on the internet and I don't feel anymore comfortable about it. It seems it's up to the transplant team whether anaesthesia is used. Sometimes the doner wriggles to much without muscle relaxant. Blood pressure and heart rate rises. When anaesthetic is used this doesn't happen. I read anaesthesia is used more for the staffs benefit as they get stressed with the doner's reactions, rather than being for the deceased's benefit. I think if there is any doubt at all anaesthesia should be used. These are my concerns. If anaesthesia was 100 guaranteed I wouldn't have a problem with it, but at the moment I have opted out for that reason only and I would not expect to receive an organ as this would be hypocritical.

After I turned 70 I gave some thought to how useful my organs would be as I got older. I decided to donate my body to science.

A few weeks after my OH died it suddenly dropped into my head that the subject simply did not come up. He was so ill though that I am guessing his organs would not have been suitable. And, in any event, one of the things he said in his will was that he did not want a post mortem if that could be avoided, so I would have felt in an uncomfortable situation if I had been asked.

I think the new legislation is right.

I’m happy with the new developments. People have the option to opt out if they feel unhappy with the idea.

Ever since I was a small child I have said that medical science could have my body when I die. My DH finds the prospect of my body being used in such a way absolutely awful. This is in spite of his scientific background. So I won't be opting out as I think it's good to be useful even when you've gone.

Whilst I am a little uncomfortable with the notion that my dead body in some way belongs to the state, I am infinitely more uncomfortable with the notion that people die for want of an organ from someone who no longer needs it. Of course families should not be able to veto this if an individual has not bothered to opt out, and I sincerely hope that more people will get the gift of life.

I would find it enormously consoling to feel that somebody had benefited from my tragedy.

ThanksOoopsadaisy
I’ve now had a look too.

MawB the transplant that saved and extended your DH’s life must have been the most precious gift of his life. And yours ?

I saw an item on this on TV and it stressed that 80% of people polled said they agreed with donating their organs but with the old system of opting in to organ donation less than 40% carried a donor card.
With the new system there will be at least 50% more organs available for donation to restore health and lives.

It makes sense to me.

Chestnut please don’t feel distressed. Keep posting. We all say things that offend at times without the intention to.
We’re human.

Just let's hope less people did now awaiting organs. A good change of emphasis.