A gift with a major impact – one that will long be remembered with gratitude – takes just a bit of preparation. When you become an organ donor, you can save the lives of up to 8 people. And if you donate tissues like blood cells, bone or corneas, you can help even more.

Organ transplantation was once considered an experimental procedure with a low success rate. But researchers have transformed transplant surgery from risky to routine. It’s now the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage organ disease. Each day, about 80 Americans receive a lifesaving organ transplant.

“The outcomes of transplantation are really so good these days that it truly makes a difference for the people who receive organ transplants,” says Dr. Sandy Feng, a transplant surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco. “Those organs are clearly lifesaving.”

The problem now is that there aren’t enough organs to meet the demand. In early 2011, more than 110,000 people were on the nation-wide waiting list for an organ. An average of nearly 20 of them dies each day while waiting.

The kidney is the most commonly transplanted organ. More than 16,000 kidney transplantations were performed in the U.S. last year. The wait, though, can be long. In February 2011, nearly 90,000 people were on the national waiting list for a kidney. Next most commonly transplanted is the liver, with more than 6,000 surgeries in 2010. That’s followed by heart, lungs, pancreas and intestines.

You can donate some organs – like a kidney or part of your liver – while you’re still alive. You have two kidneys but really need only one. And the liver can re-grow if part of it is removed. But donating these organs requires major surgery, which carries risk. That’s why living donors are often family or friends of the transplant recipient.

Most organs, though, are donated after the donor has died. The organs must be recovered quickly after death to be usable. Many come from patients who’ve been hospitalized following an accident or stroke. Once all lifesaving efforts have failed and the patient is declared dead, then organ donation becomes a possiblity.

In addition to organs, you can donate tissues. One of the most transplanted tissues is the cornea, the transparent covering over the eye. A transplanted cornea can restore sight to someone blinded by an accident, infection or disease. Donated skin tissue can be used as grafts for burn victims or for reconstruction after surgery. Donated bones can replace cancerous bones and help prevent amputation of an arm or leg. Donated veins can be used in cardiac bypass surgery.

You can reduce the need for donated organs by living well. Lower your risk of developing a long-term disease that could lead to organ failure by being physically active and eating a diet rich with high-fiber foods, fruits and vegetables. Talk to your doctor about your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. And while you’re taking these healthy steps, be sure to sign up to be an organ donor so you can help others as well.

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Source: National Institute of Health