In order for the human organism to work properly, various organs must function together in certain harmony. The heart pumping blood, the lungs getting rid of carbon dioxide from blood (CO2) in exchange of oxygen (O2), the kidneys filtering toxins and wastes in bodies, and the liver acting as a central laboratory for numerous biochemical reactions can be listed as some of the functions of organs. These organs and many others work together in harmony to keep our bodies, including our brains, alive. Even though our brains seem to be basic control centers, most organs indeed function on their own.

That is to say, although they have common functions for the human organism, organs also have separate roles among themselves. When there is any kind of functioning disorder in any of these organs, diseases occur. If that kind of functioning disorder is not treated or if it gets worsens, it may become a threat to life, and as the loss of function deteriorates, life may also gradually come to an end. At this point, a person experiencing such a deterioration needs a new organ to survive. If the organ is a kidney, the person may need to lead the rest of his/her life attached to dialysis machines; whereas, if there is a heart or liver failure, then it means this person faces a serious risk about his/her life. Unless an organ is found in time for these patients, they unfortunately pass away. Today, organ transplantation is the unique way of treatment in the world for these patients to survive. Even though a number of genetic or stem cell transplantation studies are rapidly increasing, there is still no certainty in their impacts on treatment programs.

No! In organ transplantation surgeries, tissues and organs must be compatible. As it is with blood groups, where a person from a blood group cannot receive blood from everyone and one must be careful with some blood groups, it is also the same in organ transplantation. The compatibility criteria may change according to the organ to be transplanted, and if these criteria are not taken into account, the person to receive the organ (that is, the recipient’s body) will detect the organ as a different substance and reject it. Especially after the 1960s, as drugs that prevent the activities of immune systems (immunosuppressive drugs) began to be used in medicine, today the number of transplantation applications has increased greatly because despite the compatibility of all tissues determined, the body still tends to detect the different substance and reject it due to unknown factors. Owing to these immunosuppressive drugs, the organ transplant succeeds, in a way, through tricking the immune system. Yet, these drugs do not completely remove the necessity of tissue compatibility. For this reason, in order to have a successful transplantation, people must have both compatible organs and deliberate immunosuppressive treatment.

No, they cannot be sold. After the deceased person’s organs are donated, a coordination system applies. According to this system, first the Regional Coordination Center of the Ministry of Health and then the National Coordination Center are notified of the availability of the donated organ. The distributions of organs to centers are set as a result of these notifications. Each organ donated in this manner is a national asset, and it can only be transplanted to someone the system determines is appropriate. Within such a system, no one’s organ can be sold. Any attempt to sell an organ would be noticed and prevented.

The system is so complex that it is always subject to automatic controls and it requires a complex team to complete the transplantation. So many people are involved in the system that it is almost impossible to conceal such a possible selling incident of an organ. For that reason, it is particularly impossible for any abuse in organ donations from cadavers to occur. As a matter of fact, no incidents of such organ abuse have ever been registered in legal records. In living donor transplantations, such abuses cannot be kept secret. All transplantations are done in a way that everyone is aware and works within the scope of the laws.

This information is never enough for the transplantation. This information only indicates a person’s intention to donate an organ. It does not determine anything about his/her health.

There is no difference. Although there exists some kind of confusion between these terms as people often discuss them, a human’s death occurs in just one way, and that is the death of the brain. Even though all the organs of a person including his/her heart fail, he/she is not declared dead unless brain death takes occurs. During bypass surgeries, patients whose hearts are stopped for hours survive as their brains still function, and after the surgeries, their hearts start to work properly again. Conversely, the organs and heart of a deceased person (a person whose brain death has occurred) can work for two or three more days. The main indicator of a person’s being alive or dead is his/her brain. If the brain still functions, it means he/she is alive. If the brain fails, then this person is declared dead. The most significant sign of this situation is breathing. When breathing ceases, life is also over; it has nothing to do with beating of the heart. It is strikingly interesting that in our religion and Sufism, the death is mostly, contrary to the common belief, associated with stopping of breathing rather than heart beating.

As it may be understood from the names, one refers to life and the other to death. Vegetative state refers to a life like a vegetable but the person is still alive. Disorders in brain functions are observed in a person in such a state. Depending on all this, even though he/she lies like a dead person, he/she is completely alive, and years later, although it may be a miracle, he/she may wake up and heal. Yet, brain death expresses a complete and definite death, and as we all know death is an irreversible fact.

These organizations, also called “Donor Action” in Western Societies, are organizations founded to increase the availability of cadaver organs in countries.

Inability to conduct transplantation surgeries due to lack of organ donations is not only our country’s problem but also the whole world’s problem. However, in terms of numbers in organ donations, unfortunately, our country’s situation is disastrous. Today, while the number of annual cadaver donors varies between 35 and 55 per a million in the population in European countries, in Turkey this number is less than 1. This number is also an indication of how far we still are from a solution to this problem.
Therefore, some organizations have also been founded in Turkey by taking the examples in the West as models. The aim here is to save many people who are waiting for their death, as no complete organs can be found for them.

Lives of organs and humans are quite different. When patients lose any of their vital organs as a result of a chronic disorder, unless this organ is the brain, the organs may live only a little more. The only survival chance for them during this period is organ transplantation. In place of the diseased organ, a new one is inserted, and the patient is able to go back to his/her regular life. However, when there are no organs available, the only alternative for these patients is death. Even though it is possible for kidney patients to live on a dialysis machine, these patients have a very hard life and their lifespan is very short. You rarely encounter situations so distinctly separated, just like day and night, in any areas of medicine, but if there is a successful organ transplantation, the patient will have a completely healthy life, and if not, you will lose the patient.

There are not enough laws on this subject matter. There are still issues concerning the expenses of people donating and the policies of related hospital administrations. Although the general tendency in hospital administrations is to deduct all the donor expenses after the donation, there may be some problems with applying this procedure because this process is mainly done within the boundaries of good intentions, not on legal grounds. There is no way for the family donating the organs to be paid.

Removal of an organ from a cadaver is done with as great care as it would be done in any living donor surgeries. After the removal of the organs, if it is possible, aesthetic stitches are used, and a great deal of attention is given to the body to avoid any distortions. The bodies are extremely sacred to doctors, who know the importance of organs very well give them the respect they deserve.

No, there is not. Even though the donor’s age may be a certain risk element according to the organ to be used, for the recipients whose diseases developed in a way that may not allow them to see even the next day, it may be possible to make use of all the organs in all ages and conditions.

Yes, it is possible. It will be enough to convey your decision on that day to your relatives who are going to evaluate your donation. Even though you have the donation card, your organs cannot be removed unless your relatives give permission.

Today, major organ transplants such as heart, lung, intestine, pancreas, kidney, and liver are done successfully in the world. Moreover, bone marrow, cornea, and bone and tendon transplants that exist in the tissue transplant group are also widely performed. The most commonly and successfully practiced transplants in Turkey are heart, liver, pancreas and kidney transplants, which are all within the major organ transplant group.

There are options on the organ donation card that lets you pick out the organs you want to donate. Besides, it will also be enough if you convey your preferences to your relatives.

It is out of the question. The priority is always on saving the patient. Physicians and staff working in emergency medicine units have nothing to do with any organ transplant teams. The team’s job in emergency medicine services is to save patients who are admitted to the unit. They work in extremely large teams, and everyone is aware of what others are doing. Only after the patient is deceased does another system proceed in the hospital and the organ transplant team is notified of the death of the patient. This team does not operate at all before death is finalized. Besides, as the approval of relatives are needed for the organ removal, in case the relatives are not satisfied with the treatment, it will not also be possible for them to give permission for the organ donation.

You can definitely donate. Although it is more proper to do organ transplants from cadavers, increasing numbers of living donor transplants have helped in a serious accumulation of experience in our country. Within this context, the rate of health problems among people who donated a part or one of their organs to their relatives is really low in our country.

Organ transplants in our country are done at international standards or sometimes even above international standards. The success rates for major organ transplants such as liver and kidney are above 90%.

‘Whether organ donation is a sin or not’ and ‘whether the donor is responsible for the sins that the person, to whom his/her organs are transplanted, commits in case he/she starts leading sinful lives’ are among the most frequently asked questions to the organ transplant centers. The answer of Prof. Mehmet Bayraktar, who is a High Board Member of Religious Affairs, affiliated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and an instructor in Ankara University, Faculty of Religion, to these questions is as follows: “Islam has a positive view of organ donation. In one of the sections of the Quaran known as ‘Maide’, it is written that whoever gives life to someone, he/she will be considered as giving lives to all mankind. From this point of view, we can state that a person who saves a person’s life by giving his/her organ will be rewarded. Besides, sins are committed by people, not by organs. The person who commits the sin is responsible for his action, not the person who donates his/her organ. As we all know, religion is closely related to reason. An unconscious person is not responsible for any sins as well. Transplanted organs among people belong to bodies and they are like dresses. They are worldly and stay in the world. As the responsibility of a charity is transferred to a beggar or a person needing it, it is exactly the same when it comes to sins and rewards: It is the responsibility of a rational person. When a person is killed, as the responsible for this murder will not be the gun, our worldly bodies (or in other words our dresses) cannot be responsible for anything. It is your gift to someone. The responsibility for any kind of sin that may be committed in the future will also belong to the rational person who is going to receive that gift.