A NEW HOPE, A NEW LIFE

Licensed by the Ministry of Health, our Organ Transplant Center provides advanced medical care to patients who are waiting organ transplantation. All transplants performed at our center are free of charge for patients covered by the Turkish Social Security Institution (SGK). As one of the leading healthcare institutions promoting organ donation and performing successful transplants, Yaşam Organ Transplant Center carries out kidney and liver transplantations in full compliance with international medical standards.

Successful organ transplantation requires a multidisciplinary approach and collaboration with highly trained healthcare professionals who are experts in their fields. Transplant operations must be performed in fully equipped centers that include all necessary medical units and provide care through a multidisciplinary structure.

Our center is equipped with state-of-the-art imaging systems, fully equipped operating theaters, and advanced intensive care units, ensuring safe and effective transplant procedures. Both living-donor and deceased donor kidney and liver transplants are successfully performed for patients of all ages. Our team — consisting of experienced transplant surgeons, pediatric and adult nephrologists, gastroenterologists, and transplant coordinators — supports patients at every stage of the transplantation process. In addition, comprehensive postoperative care is provided to both pediatric and adult patients, including specialized intensive care when necessary.

ORGAN DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION

Organ donation is the voluntary act of allowing one’s organs — either partially or entirely — to be used for the treatment of others, either during life or after death. Anyone over the age of 18 with sound mental health may become an organ donor. Donations can be made through public and private hospitals, community health centers, provincial health directorates, organ transplant centers, and non-governmental organizations involved in organ donation.

Organ donation is entirely voluntary. To donate, it is sufficient to fill out and sign an organ donation card in the presence of two witnesses. However, it is very important for donors to inform their families about their decision, since organs from individuals diagnosed with brain death can only be retrieved with family consent, even if they had declared themselves donors during life.

Although significant progress has been made in organ donation in Turkey in recent years, thousands of patients are still waiting for a suitable organ transplant — the majority of whom are in need of a kidney transplant. Organ failure severely reduces patients’ quality of life and negatively affects their overall health.

WHO CAN DONATE ORGANS?

According to Law No. 2238, any person over the age of 18 and with full mental capacity has the right to donate all or part of their organs. In the case of deceased minors, parental consent is required for organ donation.

WHAT IS BRAIN DEATH?

Brain death is the irreversible loss of all brain functions. Individuals diagnosed with brain death are connected to ventilators and cannot breathe on their own. This condition should not be confused with coma or a vegetative state. Despite medical treatment and life support, the organs of a brain-dead individual quickly lose function, and the person is considered legally and medically dead. Organs may be donated from individuals who have been diagnosed with brain death.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRAIN DEATH AND VEGETATIVE STATE

Brain death and vegetative state are distinctly different conditions. Patients in a vegetative state continue to breathe on their own and may survive for months or even years, sometimes showing signs of recovery. In contrast, brain death is irreversible, and patients cannot return to life.

WHO CAN RECEIVE TRANSPLANTED ORGANS?

Organs are transplanted primarily to patients in urgent need, based on tissue and blood group compatibility. Criteria for each type of organ (kidney, liver, heart) are established by scientific committees. The main criteria for organ allocation include:

Medical urgency

Tissue and blood group compatibility

Factors such as religion, language, race, gender, or social status are not considered. The National Coordination System manages the distribution of organs across the country. All urgent cases awaiting kidney, liver, or heart transplants are reviewed to ensure that each organ reaches the most suitable recipient. Every step of the process is thoroughly documented and recorded.

WHICH ORGANS AND TISSUES CAN BE TRANSPLANTED?

Organ transplantation is the process of transferring a non-functioning organ from a suitable donor to a recipient whose organ has failed, despite medical treatment. The goal of transplantation is to improve patients’ quality of life and restore health.

Organs and tissues that can be transplanted include:

Liver

Kidney

Heart

Lung

Pancreas

Heart valve

Small intestine

Cornea

Bone

Bone marrow

Tendon

PROMOTING ORGAN DONATION — A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

Encouraging and increasing organ donation rates is a shared responsibility of society. Deciding to share one’s organs during life — or to allow them to give life to others after death — can hold profound meaning for many people.

As an organ donor, you can help one or more individuals hold on to life.

For detailed information on organ and tissue donation, you can visit the nearest healthcare institution and complete your donation procedure.

Organ transplantation represents a ray of hope for patients. It extends life expectancy, enhances quality of life, and offers a chance for a new beginning.Today, the most commonly transplanted organs and tissues include the kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, small intestine, cornea, bone, and bone marrow.

For patients with end-stage liver, kidney, or heart failure, a healthy and high-quality life is possible through organ transplantation. There is no strict age limit for donation or transplantation; however, an individual’s general health condition and chronic illnesses play a crucial role in the process. Organs from donors of all age groups may be considered, provided that the donor’s health is suitable. Patients undergo comprehensive evaluations at transplant centers, and the decision to proceed with transplantation is usually made by a multidisciplinary medical board. The number of patients found unsuitable for transplantation after evaluation is relatively low.

Organs used in transplant operations are generally obtained either from living donors (up to the fourth degree of kinship) or from deceased donors.

Any individual over the age of 18 and with full mental capacity may volunteer to donate a kidney or part of their liver to a relative.

Living Donors May Include:

First-degree relatives: parents, children

Second-degree relatives: siblings, grandparents, grandchildren

Third-degree relatives: aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews (children of siblings)

Fourth-degree relatives: children of third-degree relatives

Spouses and relatives of the spouse

In addition to family members, individuals with no blood relation who wish to donate an organ without any financial interest may also become potential donors, provided that they receive approval from an ethics committee established by the Ministry of Health.