donation after circulatory death

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) occurs when a person who is no longer alive due to irreversible loss of blood circulation voluntarily agrees to donate their organs. Unlike brain death, where brain function has permanently ceased, DCD involves a situation where the heart has stopped beating, and death is confirmed based on the absence of circulation. Carefully timed procedures allow doctors to preserve and retrieve organs quickly, making them suitable for transplant. DCD is an important way to increase the availability of viable organs to help save others' lives.