MODERN IMPERATIVES OF ORGAN DONATION: ENSURING SURVIVAL AT THE EDGE OF LIFE A NARRATIVE REVIEW

The legal procedure of allowing ones own or a family members organs to be removed and transplanted into another person is known as organ donation. This can take place either while the donor is still alive or after death with the approval of the donors next of kin. Organ donors come in two varieties: (i) Donors of living organs (ii) Donors of deceased organs (cadaveric organ donation). Brain death is the irreversible and permanent cessation of all brain functions; these individuals are kept on artificial support (ventilation) to keep their organs oxygenated and healthy until they are removed. In contrast, when a person experiences cardiac death, their heart stops beating and their important organs soon become unstable for transplantation due to a lack of blood circulation.