Organ donation

A donor is an individual who, while alive, has decided that upon their death, their organs or tissues will be donated through the National Transplant System to help save or improve another person's life.

The General Health Law establishes that all Mexicans have the right to decide about their body, and if they wish, they can express their decision to donate organs and/or tissues either verbally or in writing, and to revoke their decision at any time they deem appropriate.

The National Transplant Center has established the National Voluntary Donor Registry. In this registry, citizens can express their wish to donate organs and tissues, and once registered, they have the option to download the voluntary organ and tissue donation card.

It is important to remember that once a person has made this decision, they should share it with their family so that they can respect and act as spokespersons for this decision at the time of death. If they later change their decision, they should also inform their family.

Organs and tissues can be obtained at hospitals authorized by the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (COFEPRIS) and that have the necessary facilities, medical equipment, and trained personnel.

Donating and transplanting organs and tissues in our country is completely free and governed by the principles of gratuity, altruism, solidarity, and confidentiality.

Every effort will be made to ensure that the donor is as compatible as possible with the recipient to minimize the risk of rejection.

The General Health Law establishes that:
Minors cannot donate while alive, except for bone marrow transplants, which require the express consent of parents or legal guardians.

Mentally incapacitated individuals and others subject to interdiction cannot be donors either while alive or after their death.

Pregnant women can donate while alive only if the recipient is in imminent danger of death and provided it does not pose a risk to the mother or the fetus.

If you pass away in a hospital with an organ and tissue donation program, the authorized personnel, known as the Donation Coordinator, will approach your family to inform them about the possibility of donation. Your family will need to consider the option and make the important decision to give life to someone else.

If you pass away in a hospital without an organ and tissue donation program and your family knows of your wish to donate, it is unlikely that the donation will be possible.

For the allocation of organs and tissues from a deceased donor, factors such as the recipient's condition, the timing of the transplant, the expected benefits, compatibility with the recipient, and other accepted medical criteria will be considered.

When there is no urgency or specific medical reason for preferentially assigning an organ or tissue, the allocation will be strictly based on the records maintained by the National Transplant Center, which include the data of waiting recipients.

If you pass away in a hospital without an organ and tissue donation program, and your family knows of your wish to donate, it is unlikely that the donation will be achieved.

Yes, this is known as "directed donation" and is contemplated in the General Health Law (Ley General de Salud, LGS). The responsible personnel will attempt to fulfill the donor's wishes, provided that the recipient is compatible and meets all the required medical and legal criteria. If it is not viable, it is up to the family to either withdraw or open the donation to other potential recipients.

When there is no urgency or specific medical reason for preferentially assigning an organ or tissue, the allocation will be strictly based on the records maintained by the National Transplant Center, which include the data of waiting recipients.

If you pass away in a hospital without an organ and tissue donation program, and your family is aware of your wish to donate, it is unlikely that the donation will be achieved.

The time can vary depending on the circumstances of the donation and whether it involves multiple organs and tissues. From the confirmation of brain death, it can take between 6 and 24 hours.

If your family member has been diagnosed by a specialist as a candidate to receive an organ or tissue, it is crucial that the physician registers them in the database of the institution where they are being treated. This information becomes part of the hospital, institutional, state, and national databases of patients waiting for an organ or tissue.

Remember that registration in the database is FREE

The treating physician, who diagnoses the patient as a candidate for the transplant and will perform the surgery, is responsible for registering the patient in the database of the medical institution where they are receiving care.

Organs: heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and lungs.

Tissues: bone marrow, corneas, skin, bone, heart valves, cartilage, tendons, arteries, and veins.

The duration depends on the cause of the liver disease, any associated conditions, and the care taken after the transplant, including adherence to medications and medical recommendations.

Efforts are always made to ensure that the donor is as compatible as possible with the recipient to minimize the risk of rejection.