What does 'multiorgan donation' refer to?

Multiorgan donation specifically refers to the recovery of multiple organs from a single donor. This process involves taking various organs—such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and pancreas—during one surgical procedure, enabling the potential to save or enhance the lives of several recipients. The ability to recover multiple organs from a single donor is critical in maximizing the use of available organs and addressing the ongoing shortage in transplantable organs.

In contrast, other interpretations such as the donation of organs from multiple donors or the donation of organs along with tissues do not fit the definition of multiorgan donation since they involve either collecting from various individuals or including tissues rather than focusing solely on the multiple organs retrieved from one individual. The process of organ donation within a family relates to the familial context but does not specify the scope of organs harvested from a single donor. Thus, the focus on single-donor scenarios makes the answer about recovering multiple organs from one individual the correct choice.