Organ and tissue donation is essential for patients with end-stage chronic diseases. In France, the annual number of transplants rose to 6,148 in 2025. However, over 23,000 patients are still awaiting a suitable transplant, and nearly 1,000 people die each year due to a lack of organs, averaging about 3 per day.
Without donation, there are no transplants. Opportunities for many patients depend on individual choices, the absence of expressed refusal during one's lifetime, and communicating this choice to loved ones. Donation involves organs (kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, intestine) and tissues (cornea, blood vessels, skin, heart valves, bone).
When a person passes away, the organ procurement coordination unit at the facility contacts the family to inquire about the deceased's wishes. In the absence of an expressed and verified refusal on the national registry, the procurement is carried out by a specialized team. Organs are then transported to authorized hospitals for transplantation, such as the CHUs of Toulouse and Montpellier in Occitanie. The donor's body is returned to the family after the procedure.
Following a successful transplant, symptoms related to organ failure are regulated, and replacement treatments can be discontinued. However, lifelong immunosuppressive medication is required to prevent rejection. Kidney transplants, for instance, enable a return to near-normal life by eliminating the need for three weekly blood filtration sessions.
The principle of presumed consent applies: everyone is presumed to be a donor unless they have expressed their refusal during their lifetime. In practice, medical teams ask relatives at the time of death to share any expressed wishes of the deceased. Organ donation after death is possible at any age. To ensure your choice is heard, understood, and respected, it is recommended to clearly communicate it to your loved ones, preferably in writing.
Anyone can oppose the donation of their organs or tissues. The law provides three ways to express refusal: online registration on the national registry of refusals, a dated and signed written refusal given to loved ones, or an oral refusal transcribed by loved ones onto a signed written document.
Living donation can only benefit a close relative, under strict medical conditions and with the donor's free and informed consent. This consent is revocable at any time up to the operation. The donor is informed of the foreseeable consequences on their personal, family, and professional life, and the expected results for the recipient.
The ARS Occitanie is implementing a regional action plan to facilitate organ and tissue procurement and transplantation, in line with the Ministerial Plan for Organ Procurement and Transplantation 2022-2026 and the Occitanie Regional Health Project 2023-2028.
