Organ transplantation is the only available treatment to save those suffering from terminal organ failure where a functional organ will be used to replace the failed organ. Organs that can be transplanted are heart, lung, kidney and liver. Currently pancreas transplant has not been practised in Malaysia yet.

The functional organ will only be removed from a cadaveric donor after getting consent from the donor’s next of kin. The programme allows living donors to donate their kidney or liver for transplant but it is restricted to family members only. After the transplant, the recipient can continue living a normal life.

Organ Donation from Brain Dead Donor

Brain death can and must only be announced by two authorised specialists who are not involved with organ transplantation. The surgery to procure the organ for transplantation will only be carried out with a written consent from the next of kin.

Lab Tests

Only an organ that is functioning properly and is free from cancer, HIV positive, syphilis, Hepatitis B and C is eligible for organ transplant. Because of that, numerous tests will be conducted to both the donor and the patient just to make sure that the organ is working properly and compatible with the patient before it is being transplanted.

Rejection Risk

A patient’s body sometimes rejects a transplanted organ because it didn’t recognize it. In certain cases, the body will reject the new organ immediately after the transplant but for some others, it could happen anytime after the transplantation. The risk of rejection will always be there and to minimize the risk, patients will be put on anti-rejection medication. After the transplant, a patient can live a normal life but they must live a healthy lifestyle because being on anti-rejection medication it will weakened the patient’s immune systems so personal hygiene is also very important.