Why are organ donation used?

Organ donation is the transfer of an organ or tissue from a donor to a recipient. It may be a heart, lung, kidney, liver, thymus, intestine, or tissues like bone, tendons or heart valves.

It is used to replace a damaged or absent organ in order to prevent death, or to improve the quality of life for the recipient. It may be used to treat cystic fibrosis, COPD, heart failure, among many others.