age limits for organ donors
More than half of them do not have upper age limits for kidney transplant recipients. But physicians are conservative about living kidney donors: Nearly three-quarters of transplant centers have not accepted organs from people older than 70, according to Johns Hopkins research. Are there age limits or medical conditions that rule out organ transplantation? There is no standard age limit to be transplanted. Each transplant program sets its own practice. For example, one program may not accept anyone older than 80 years of age; another may have no age limit. A few medical conditions might rule out a transplant. PhotoJoe Gammalo, right, who received a lung transplant four years ago, recently played in a band with his son, Tony Gammalo, in what Joe described as a highlight of both our lives.Credit Cleveland Clinic Center for Medical Art and Photography. In some parts of the country, it can take six to eight years for someone to rise to the top of transplant lists, according to transplant surgeons. The harsh reality is that more than half of kidney transplant candidates over the age of 60 will die before receiving an organ from a deceased donor, researchers estimate. No set age limit exists for organ donation. At the time of death, the potential donor’s organs are evaluated to determine their suitability for donation. Individuals in their 80s and 90s have successfully donated organs including liver and kidneys to save the lives of others. The number of kidney transplants performed annually on adults over 65 tripled between 1998 and last year, according to data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. In 2001, 7.4 percent of liver transplant recipients were over 65; last year, that rose to 13 percent. In 2011, 96 people age 65 and older served as living kidney donors in the United States; altogether, 1,382 older adults have done so since 1988, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the nation’s transplant system. Seniors are still young enough to receive a kidney transplant, donate a live kidney or become an organ donor. Seniors Aren't Too Old to Get a Transplant. Older adults are not prohibited from getting a kidney transplant. Many of the nation's transplant centers don't even have an upper age limit for kidney transplant recipients. In 2001, about 3 percent of those on the wait list and of those transplanted were over 65; last year, older patients represented almost 18 percent of wait-listed candidates and more than a quarter of transplant recipients. One organ donor can save up to eight lives. One eye and tissue donor can save or improve the lives of up to 50 people. This means an organ, eye and tissue donor can potentially impact the lives of 58 people! Organs that can be donated for transplantation include kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, small bowel and pancreas.
one program may not accept anyone older than 80 years of age; another may have no age limit.