Donation after cardiac death

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a process where organs are donated after a person's heart has stopped beating and they have died. This usually happens when death is declared based on irreversible loss of heartbeat, not brain activity. After the heart stops, medical teams quickly recover healthy organs such as the kidneys, liver, or lungs for transplant. DCD expands the pool of available organs and has strict medical and ethical protocols to ensure the process respects the donor and maximizes organ viability for recipients.