Federal votes of May 15 – Who can donate which organs in Switzerland?

– Who can donate which organs in Switzerland?

Consent or not, a direct debit can only be made under certain conditions. Explanations in five points.

Posted today at 2:06 p.m.

To announce oneself as a potential donor, no medical examination must be done. On the other hand, the organs are examined before a transplant.

KEYSTONE / Christian Beutler

What organs can be donated?

In 2021, 484 organs from deceased donors were transplanted in Switzerland. The kidney comes first (243), followed by the liver (148), the lung (42), the heart (33), the pancreas or its islets (17) and the small intestine (1). It is also possible to donate tissues, such as the cornea, heart valves and blood vessels.

On the subject

Kidneys can be donated to two different people. The lungs and liver are sometimes split. Thus, a deceased person can save up to nine lives, but the average is a little above three. It happens that only part of the organs can be used.