ABSTRACT
This chapter explores organ harvest in medical settings. It introduces the history and development of organ transplantation and organ recovery. The author then raises some complex ethical questions about when and how organ transplantation takes place, describing key questions around when donors are considered truly ‘dead’ to allow organs to be removed, ethics around artificially restarting circulation within a deceased individual prior to organ removal, and other practical considerations around maintaining organ health as long as possible to improve outcomes in recipient patients. The organ shortage crisis within the United States, including some of the factors contributing to this, is discussed. The opt-in model, for example, requires potential donors to sign up, and therefore the associations that the general public have about this very sensitive topic and procedure really matter. The author reflects on this through discussing how even the word used to ‘harvest,’ ‘procure,’ or ‘retrieve’ an organ can impact some of these emotional associations for potential donors and their families.
