Where can we have our questions answered?
For more information on organ and tissue donation,
please contact DonateLife NSW on (02) 8566 1700
or visit www.donatelife.gov.au
having our questions
answered about organ
and tissue donation
processes and procedures
What is this brochure about?
This brochure has been prepared to answer common
questions asked about organ and tissue donation by
members of the Serbian Orthodox community in the
Illawarra who participated in focus groups during 2011.
Illawarra residents who would like to speak to
someone over the telephone can call the
Organ & Tissue Donation Clinical Nurse Consultant
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
Tel. (02) 4253 4184
Serbian Orthodox Communities
in the Illawarra
What should I do if I want to register my own
decision about organ and tissue donation?
You can register your decision online at the Australian
Organ Donor Register (www.donorregister.gov.au),
call 1800 777 203 or complete a form at any
Medicare branch.
Medicare provides a translating and interpreting
service on 131 450.
Discovering and Discussing
Organ and Tissue Donation…Together
Sharing our ideas & beliefs
Having our questions answered
Knowing each other’s wishes
After you have made a decision it is important to tell
your family as they will be asked to give final consent if
the time comes.
A resource has been developed called ‘Sharing our
ideas and beliefs’ which profiles some of the views of
members of the Serbian Orthodox community.
This booklet and other information can be found at:
www.donatelife.gov.au/orthodoxresources
This project is sponsored by
Serbian Orthodox Communities in the Illawarra
Discovering and Discussing Organ and Tissue Donation...Together
Discovering and Discussing
Organ and Tissue Donation…Together
Common questions about organ and tissue
donation raised by members of the Serbian
Orthodox community in the Illawarra
Is organ donation only considered after a person has died?
Organ and tissue donation can only be considered after a
person has been declared dead. In Australia, the two legal
definitions of death are:
• Brain death – the brain has stopped functioning and will
not recover
• Heart (cardiac) death – the circulation of blood in the
body of a person has ceased
How can a doctor tell when a person’s brain has died?
In Australia, brain death must be certified by two doctors who
assess the basic functions that the brain controls. Although
people in a coma will respond in some way to the stimulus,
someone whose brain has died will show NO RESPONSE to
these tests. In some cases, a special x-ray or scan may also be
performed to show that there is no blood flow to the brain.
What about heart (cardiac) death?
In Australia, a senior doctor must certify that a person’s
circulation has ceased and will not recover.
What is considered for organ donation to occur?
When a person dies in a way that makes them suitable to
donate organs or tissues, the Australian Organ Donor Register
is checked to see whether the person had registered. If the
person had registered ‘no’, donation will not proceed. If the
person registered ‘yes’ or had not registered, a DonateLife
clinician will meet with the family and talk to them about
donation.
What is organ and tissue donation?
Organ and tissue donation is life-saving and lifetransforming. Organs (such as the heart, lungs, kidneys,
liver or pancreas) and/or tissue (such as corneas, skin, heart
valves, bone or pancreas tissue) are removed from someone
who has died (a donor) and transplanted into someone (a
recipient) who is very ill or dying from organ failure. The
donation can save the life, or significantly improve quality
of life, of 10 or more people.
Around 1600 people are on Australian organ transplant
waiting lists. Some of these people are members of the
Serbian community.
Will my family be involved in giving consent for organ and
tissue donation?
Organ and tissue donation will not go ahead without the
family’s agreement.
Once a family has agreed to donation, they will be asked
to complete the necessary paperwork to confirm the
donation including a questionnaire about the potential
donor’s medical and social history.
Throughout this process, the family will be supported by the
Intensive Care Unit team caring for their family member and
a DonateLife donor coordinator. The coordinator is trained to
answer any questions the family has, regardless of whether
they agree to donate or not.
How are the organs and tissues removed?
The operation to remove organs is performed by
experienced medical transplant surgeons. All operations
are carried out with the care and precision of any other
operation. The operation to remove tissue is performed by
trained tissue bank staff. The person’s body is treated with
respect and dignity. As in any normal surgical procedure, all
wounds are carefully and neatly closed and the body of the
donor maintains a normal appearance.
How are organ and tissue recipients chosen?
Organs are given to the person with the greatest
medical need who has the best chance of successful
transplantation. Neither ethnicity, financial, celebrity nor
political status effect who is chosen to receive organs or
tissues that have been donated.
Australia has strict ethical guidelines about the allocation
of organs and tissue. The Consensus Statement on
Eligibility Criteria and Allocation Protocols has been
developed by the Transplantation Society of Australia and
New Zealand (TSANZ). This document provides transparent
guidelines for the allocation of donated organs.
Several factors are taken into consideration in identifying
the best matched recipients. Criteria include:
• How long the person has been waiting for a transplant
• Their immediate medical condition
• The urgency for a transplant
• How well the tissue/organs match the person (blood
group, size compatibility, tissue compatibility)
• Whether the organ can be made available to the
person in time.
Importantly, there is no buying or selling of organs in
Australia as the trade of organs within or from Australia
is illegal.
Because tissue doesn’t require a constant blood supply, it
can be stored for some time in tissue banks. Surgeons make
a request to the relevant tissue bank for eye or bone tissue,
skin or heart valves which are released as needed.