Circulatory Death

Circulatory death is defined as the irreversible cessation of all circulatory and respiratory functions

Connective Tissue

tissue that connects, supports, binds, or separates other tissues or organs, typically having relatively few cells embedded in an amorphous matrix, often with collagen or other fibers, and including cartilaginous, fatty, and elastic tissues.

Cross-Matching

Cross-matching, in a medical context, is a test performed to determine the compatibility of blood or organs between a donor and a recipient, ensuring that the recipient's blood doesn't react negatively to the donor's blood or tissue.

Deceased Donor

A deceased donor is someone who has been declared dead and whose organs and/or tissues are donated for transplantation.

Donor Registry

A donor registry is a confidential electronic database where individuals can record their wish to be an organ and tissue donor, ensuring their wishes are respected and their donation potential is known in case of death.

Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA)

HLA, or Human Leukocyte Antigen, refers to a group of molecules on the surface of cells that help the immune system distinguish between the body's own cells and foreign invaders, crucial for immune responses and organ transplant compatibility

Immunosuppressive Drugs

Immunosuppressive drugs, also known as immunosuppressants or anti-rejection medications, are medications used to inhibit or prevent the activity of the immune system. They are primarily used to prevent organ rejection after transplantation and to treat autoimmune diseases.

Living Donor

A living donor is a person who donates an organ or part of an organ to someone in need while they are still alive, often a kidney or part of a liver, to help shorten the wait for a transplant.

National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA)

The term "National Organ Transplant Association" generally refers to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a non-profit organization contracted by the federal government to manage the nation's organ donation and transplant system through the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).

Organ Donation

Organ donation is the process of voluntarily donating organs or tissues to be transplanted into someone else who needs them, either while the donor is alive (living donation) or after death (deceased donation).

Organ Preservation

Organ preservation is the supply line for organ transplantation. Currently, the liver, pancreas, and kidney can be successfully preserved for up to two days by flushing the organs with the University of Wisconsin (UW) organ preservation solution and storing them at hypothermia (0-5 degree C).

Organ Procurement

Organ procurement, also known as surgical recovery, is the surgical process of removing organs or tissues from a deceased or living donor for the purpose of transplantation into a recipient.

Organ Viability

Organ viability refers to the period of time an organ can remain functional and suitable for transplantation after being removed from a donor's body.

Recipient

a person or thing that receives or is awarded something.

Rejection

the dismissing or refusing of a proposal, idea, etc.

Tendons

a flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous collagen tissue attaching a muscle to a bone.

Tissue

any of the distinct types of material of which animals or plants are made, consisting of specialized cells and their products.

Transplant Center

A transplant center, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), is a healthcare facility where organ transplants are performed, and a transplant hospital member is a hospital with a designated transplant program for at least one organ.

Waiting List

a list of people waiting for something, especially housing or admission to a school.