Factsheets & Statistics

Statistics | Registration and Family Discussion | The Donation Process

Statistics

In 2008, 259 Australians donated organs benefiting 846 transplant recipients. Of the 259, 57 were in NSW and 5 in the ACT. Many more became tissue donors. http://www.anzdata.org.au
In 2008, 190 people in NSW received organ transplants and 19 in ACT.
There is no age limit to becoming an organ or tissue donor.
Organ Donation saves lives. Tissue Donation improves the quality of life.
One organ donor can save up to eight peoples lives and many more for tissue donation.
Since 1965, more than 30,000 Australians have received life saving transplants - Heart, Lungs, Liver. Pancreas and Kidneys as well as life improving tissue transplants - Corneas, Heart Valves and Bone Tissue.
Australia has one of the highest transplantation success rates in the world.
More than 1800 Australians are waiting for a life saving organ. transplant, several of them are children. Of these, 49% reside in NSW.
20% of those waiting for a heart, lung or liver transplant will die before receiving their life saving transplant.
2,000 people are newly diagnosed with renal failure each year.
In Australia a person has 10 times greater chance of requiring an organ transplant than becoming a donor.
Organ donation is medically possible in less than 1% of all deaths, but more people can donate tissue as there are fewer medical restrictions.

The Australian Organ Donor Register allows people to register their consent to donate.
In NSW people can also register on the NSW RTA driver's licence. If you change your mind and want to register 'yes' you must do so in writing.
Organ Donation will not proceed if you register 'NO' on the driver's licence.
You can choose which organs and tissue you wish to donate.

By registering consent and telling their family, partner and friends their decision to donate they have done the two most important things to ensure their decision to donate will be carried out.
Families remain central to the donation of a loved one's organs as a senior next of kin is required to authorise the retrieval of organs at the time of death.
A person's decision to help others by donating organs for transplantation does not allow the removal of organs for any other purpose.

Organ donation is only considered if the patient dies, despite all medical efforts.

Your medical history and suitability of your organs will be considered at the time of donation by medical experts.
After death, a different team of doctors is responsible for the process of organ retrieval and another different team of doctors is responsible for transplantation.
The body is treated with dignity and respect and after organ retrieval, the physical appearance of the body will not be altered and funeral arrangements (including an open casket) can proceed as planned

The Organ Donation Service in NSW offers a Bereavement program for donor families, supporting them long after the death of a loved one.
Anonymous letters can be passed form transplant recipients to donor families through the Organ Donation Service in NSW.
Most religions allow for individual choice or support of organ donation if organs will help improve someone's life.