Becoming an organ and tissue donor is a personal decision. In many states, people can sign-up to be donors when they renew their driver’s license. It is also important that donors talk with loved ones to ensure their wishes are clear and ultimately fulfilled.
Upon death representatives from an organ procurement organization (OPO) check the donor registration status and ask the family if they wish for their loved one’s organs and tissues to be donated.
The OPO then performs a comprehensive medical and social history review of the donor.
The OPO then recovers the organs and tissues. Techniques are available to allow for an open casket funeral, if the family wishes.
The donated bone, skin and soft tissue is either processed immediately or frozen while further testing of blood and tissue samples is done to screen for disease and bacteria.
Once screening is complete, previously frozen tissue is transferred to the tissue provider to be processed into transplantable allografts. More testing is performed during processing and on the final allografts.
The allografts are distributed to surgeons for a variety of surgical procedures to improve the quality of life of others.
Allograft recipients often tell friends and family about their positive experiences and suggest they register to be organ and tissue donors. This is an important way the cycle of giving is maintained.
