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Over 91,000 people in the U.S. need organ transplants and there are hundreds of thousands who would benefit from tissue transplants. Thousands of people die each year before a transplant can be located and many more face long waiting times or less than ideal alternatives for lack of a tissue transplant. Increasing the number of donors will help end needless suffering and will save lives. You can help.
MTF encourages you to learn the facts about donation, to make a personal choice and to discuss it with your family.
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For more information on how to become an organ, tissue and eye donor in your state, visit www.donatelife.net. |
Who
donates bone and tissue allografts?
Is
there a difference between tissue and organ donation?
What
tissues can be donated?
How are the tissues removed and what about funeral arrangements?
Where
are these tissues used?
Is
there a cost to donate tissue?
Can
organs and corneas be taken along with the tissue?
Can
anyone be a tissue donor?
How
does MTF receive donated tissue?
If
you’re a non-profit corporation, what do you do with the money
made from the tissue?
Can donors also donate organs?
Does the donor’s family have to pay for the donation?
Are there any objections to donation based on
religious belief?
Who donates bone and tissue
allografts?
The majority of donors were otherwise healthy
and relatively young people who
died in accidents or from sudden illness
such as heart attack or stroke. Every donor is thoroughly screened
and tested before donation can take place. This screening includes
comprehensive medical and social histories, including high-risk behaviors
for transmissible diseases that automatically eliminate any possibility
of donation. Potential donors with histories of any condition that
can affect the quality and long-term performance of the bone and/or
tissue are also excluded. MTF's Medical Director and Technical Staff
must approve all donations prior to transplantation.
Is there
a difference between tissue and organ donation?
In general, organ donors must be brain dead, which is defined as the irreversible cessation of all brain function. In these very limited cases (approximately
20,000 per year), organ donation occurs when mechanical support (i.e.,
ventilators) can continue the viability of the organs for a short period
of time after the death of the patient. Organs (heart, liver, kidney,
etc.) must be carefully matched to waiting recipients. Matching is
done according to factors such as blood type, medical status of the
recipient and size of the waiting recipient. Tissue donation may occur
from patients who are either brain dead or who have suffered cardiac
death, the cessation of the heart. Consequently, there are many more
potential tissue donors than organ donors. Tissue recipients do not have
to be matched to their donors as rejection is not generally a concern.
What tissues can be donated?
Tissues which can be donated include bone, tendons, ligaments,
heart valves, skin, veins, cartilage, pericardium and fascia lata (the
thin covering of the muscles.)
How are the tissues removed
and what about funeral arrangements?
After consent for donation has been established, the donated
tissues are removed by skilled medical professionals in a surgical procedure
that takes place under sterile conditions. The procedure is accomplished
in a very timely manner, and must occur within 24 hours of the time of
death. During the donation procedures, the utmost care and respect is
taken with the donor’s body. Donation should not interfere with funeral
arrangements, including open casket services.
Where are these tissues
used?
Long bones may be used to replace those invaded by cancer. Without such a transplant, the limb may have to be amputated. Smaller sections of bone are used to strengthen areas of a deformed spine and to fill areas where bone has been lost due to conditions that have damaged existing bone. Damaged tendons and ligaments may be reconstructed as well, thus strengthening the joint and assisting the patient in walking or running. Skin can be life-saving for critically burned patients. It is also used for hernia repair, pelvic floor reconstruction, and for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. Heart valves are used to replace damaged heart valves. Saphenous and femoral veins from the legs are used in cardiac by-pass surgery for patients who have suffered cardiovascular (heart) disease.
Is there a cost to donate
tissue?
No. As with all donated organs, there is no
charge to the donor’s
family.
Can organs and corneas
be taken along with the tissue?
Yes. At the same time tissues
are removed, organs can be taken if the donor meets the appropriate
medical criteria. Corneas, the clear covering of the eye, can also
be donated to restore sight to someone in need.
Can anyone be a tissue
donor?
Most healthy individuals are candidates for donation. Anyone can choose donation. To learn more about organ, tissue and eye donation in your state, visit www.donatelife.net.
How does MTF receive
donated tissue?
Recovery agencies have chosen to affiliate
with MTF in part because of our high ethical standards, the quality
and safety of tissue and strict donor criteria. In addition, MTF supports
the promotion of donor awareness and the provision of donor family
services.
Most organ, tissue and eye banks that are members
of MTF send tissue to MTF for processing and distribution. This allows
them to concentrate on their organizational mission and responsibility
to their community, which is donor recovery. Advances
in medicine and
biotechnology have dramatically improved how bone and musculoskeletal
tissues can be used. In order to maximize benefits to recipients,
it
is vital that these tissues be processed in very sterile Class 10 (certified)
Clean Rooms, and according to exact surgical specifications. Small, local
tissue banks could not provide this level of quality in a cost effective
manner on their own, which
is why they send tissue to a large tissue
bank for processing. It is also easier for a surgeon to obtain tissue
from fewer consistent sources.
If you’re a
non-profit corporation, what do you do with the money made from
the
tissue?
MTF is a non-profit foundation. All revenues are used to cover costs and to further the cause of tissue donation. There are no shareholders and no dividends are paid. Like any business, MTF has significant costs per donor, including reimbursement to the recovery agency for their expenses, testing the tissue to insure its safety, review of donor records, processing the tissue and distributing the tissue to hospitals and recipients throughout the U.S.
MTF also conducts and sponsors a broad variety of research projects to insure that we are able to make the best possible use of donated tissues. We also contribute to donor awareness projects such as the Coalition of Donation, donor family services and to advancing scientific orthopaedic research in leading medical centers.
Can donors also donate organs?
Yes. Multiple donations from one donor can help scores of people.
The donor’s family can make the request or it can be recorded on
a Universal Donor Card that is carried by the donor.
Does the donor’s family have
to pay for the donation?
No. Donations are a gift of the donor or donor’s family.
Are there any objections to donation
based on religious belief?
Organ and tissue donation is an accepted practice by all of the major
religious denominations. Please refer to the specific denomination’s
policies on donation for more information.
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