The allocation and distribution of organs is based on blood type, the length of time a patient has been on the waiting list, geographical location, the severity of the illness and other medical criteria. Patients can't buy a place on the waiting list. And there is no cost to the donor family for the donation process. Another myth about organ donation is that doctors let patients die so their organs can be transplanted to others. The fact is that doctors who treat patients at the time of death have nothing to do with the donation or transplantation of organs or tissues.
Every effort is made to save a patient's life before donation can be considered.
Donation doesn't delay funeral arrangements, either. Most organ and tissue donations take place within 24-hours after death. Donations don't disfigure the body or change the way a person looks in a casket. Another myth is that transplants are still experimental. More than 19,000 solid-organ transplants and 450,000 tissue transplants take place annually in the U.S. Transplantation is a standard medical procedure and survival and success rates are extremely high.