Health condition · plain-language reference

Organ Transplantation

You may need an organ transplant if one of your organs has failed. This can happen because of illness or injury. When you have an organ transplant, doctors remove an organ from another person and place it in your body. The organ may come from a living donor or a donor who has died. The organs that can be transplanted include: Heart Intestine Kidney Liver Lung Pancreas You often have to wait a long time for an organ transplant. Doctors must match donors to recipients to reduce the risk of transplant rejection. Rejection happens when your immune system attacks the new organ. If you have a transplant, you must take drugs the rest of your life to help keep your body from rejecting the new organ.

Plain-language summary from MedlinePlus (NIH/NLM) ↗. For informational purposes only — not medical advice.