Cause and Effect Essay- A trend or Phenomenon Related to the Sale, Trade or Donation of Human Organs

Organ donation is one of the significant medical advancements that save lives. It is defined as the surgical removal of tissues or organs from one individual to another (Abouna, 2003). The source of the organs is known as the donor, while the other is the recipient. The medical process of transplanting is a necessity today due to the failure of organs because of disease or injury. Physicians have recorded successful transplantations of donated organs, which include the heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, liver, and uterus. Tissues that have been transplanted successfully include bones, skin, veins, nerves, and tendons (Deshmukh & Baheti, 2020). The most commonly donated organs include the kidneys, heart, and liver. Organ donors can be dead or alive. Despite the ability to save lives through organ donation, various issues raise moral and ethical controversies, such as high risk and incidences of organ failure, lack of adequate supply, long waiting periods, and increasing deaths during the waiting period. These issues have brought to the limelight methods of allocating the available organs, the supply of the organs, and the utilization of living donors, who are mainly volunteers and sometimes include minors (Abouna, 2003). Just as with any other medical practice, organ donation is subject to the varying beliefs of patients (donors, recipients, and their families), society, and health workers. Regardless of these varying perspectives, organ donation remains a beneficial medical practice that saves lives. To maximize these benefits, health workers need to ensure that respect is maintained when dealing with varied patients by fulfilling their wishes and placing their interests while observing the ethics, morality, and religious aspects that govern a society. The varying beliefs, cultures, and perspectives of healthcare providers, patients, donors, and relatives introduce a number of ethical concerns, which are being tackled through different legislation. Do you need help with your assignment ? Reach out to us at eminencepapers.com.

The Process of Organ Donation

Organ donation begins once the individual makes the decision. Prior to death, individuals register as organ donors. Various religious factions encouraged organ donation as an act of charity. The individual must provide written consent in the presence of two witnesses. One of the witnesses should be a close relative. Once the individual passes on, the next of kin sees to it that the organs are donated. When relatives decide to donate an organ from their deceased, it is known as a cadaver donation. Thus, organ donation can occur in two ways: deceased and living. Deceased donors are those patients who die due to brain bleeding or injury and stroke; the causes of the death should first result in brain death. Living organ donation occurs when an individual donates one of their multiple organs, such as the kidney (Deshmukh & Baheti, 2020).

The donation of organs and tissues is helpful to individuals suffering from terminal illnesses and extensive injuries. For instance, heart failure patients can be saved through a heart transplant. Individuals with lung cancers require lung transplants. When one’s kidneys fail, a kidney transplant becomes necessary (Sulania, Sachdeva, & Jha, 2016). Liver failure can be treated through a liver transplant. Diabetes can be treated through a pancreas transplant, while corneal transplants treat corneal blindness. Skin transplants are important for patients with severe burns, while heart valve transplants are critical for the treatment of diseases that impair the heart valve (Deshmukh & Baheti, 2020). Thus, donation of organs and subsequent transplantation are lifesaving medical interventions that benefit terminally ill patients and their families.

Organ donation fills a critical gap in health care as patients with irreversible conditions receive healthy organs from family members and deceased donors. Various illnesses such as cancer, heart failure, cystic fibrosis, lung illnesses, and polycystic kidney disease weaken vital organs, leading to dysfunction. Other infections, such as hepatitis, impair the organs’ functionality. Conditions such as diabetes and heart disease also impair the organs’ capability to function properly. In such cases, the patient needs urgent transplantation of the affected organs to restore the dignity and normalcy associated with normal living (Deshmukh & Baheti, 2020). The lives of such patients become dependent on the availability of the required organs. Lack of organ transplantation is likely to result in the death of the individual.

Harvesting and transplanting of organs are processes that involve different individuals with varying expertise. Prior to transplanting, the recipient must undergo tests