Deceased donor organ transplants

Patient comes in with a devastating brain injury.

Despite continuous medical efforts and maximal support, a patient may still suffer complete and irreversible loss of brain function.

Our commitment to care

Every patient is given full medical care and every chance at survival. No doctor would sacrifice one life to save another.

Organ donation is only considered after efforts to save the patient are futile.

The patient becomes a potential organ donor after being certified brain dead.

Certification of brain death

Singapore follows stringent criteria as per international practices for brain death certification. It is performed by two qualified independent doctors who are not:

• involved in the care or treatment of the patient;

• in the team of medical practitioners who will recover the organ(s);

• involved in the selection of the proposed recipient(s) of the organ(s); and

• involved in the care or treatment of the proposed recipient(s) of the organ(s) during his/her hospitalisation for the deceased donor organ transplant.

The two independent doctors must confirm that the patient has met all the clinical criteria before brain death can be certified.

The transplant coordinator checks the Organ Donor Registry to verify the patient’s donor status

The family is updated on the donor’s organ donation status and is briefed on the organ donation process.

Dedicated support team

The family is supported by a team of senior clinicians, medical social workers, nurses, and transplant coordinators. In addition to supporting the family, they guide them through the organ donation process and clarify any questions or issues.

The transplant coordinator proceeds to facilitate assessments for organ suitability.

Comprehensive evaluation

The transplant coordinator, together with the multidisciplinary transplant team, will evaluate the potential donor to determine suitability of the organs for donation. Assessments include blood tests/scans and interviews with the next-of-kin on the social and medical history of the potential donor.

The deceased donor’s family will not need to pay for any deceased organ donation-related procedures and/or tests.

Organ and/or tissue donation will only occur when the potential donor is assessed to be medically suitable and there is a matching recipient on the national waiting list.

Fair allocation and family recognition

To ensure the best transplant outcomes, organs are allocated in accordance to strict medical criteria.

The deceased donor’s family will receive a card from the National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU) providing the basic information of the recipients that their loved one has saved.