What is the tissue donation?
Years ago, when transplant surgery began developing, many people started considering the possibility of being organ donors Public debates in the media, as well as in families, make a decisive contribution to the development of organ donation. The same happens now with tissue donation. Many people are unaware of the medical benefits it brings. Anyone who decides to consider the issue of tissue donation will have a number of urgent questions. It is these questions that we want to help you get answers.

 

  • What is postmortem tissue donation?

The tissues of people, even in old age, can be useful for treatment of some diseases. It is well known, for example, that administering bone marrow from a donor to a recipient is used as a cure for some forms of leukemia. Of course, everyone is familiar with the benefits of organ donation – heart, liver, kidneys. This happens as soon as possible after the clinical death of a donor when the blood is still circulating.

However, even after a cardio-vascular arrest, donation is possible up to the 36th hour: bones, tendons, heart valves, corneas, vessels and skin can be removed and after a careful processing they can be used to replace damaged tissue of other people in need.

  • What is tissue donation from living people?

In some circumstances, for example during the hip replacement surgery, the femoral head is removed and could be collected, processed, and used for transplantation purposes. In other words it could be donated.

Tissue donation from living people is easy for the patients, it is anonymous, voluntary and not paid.

A few questions are asked about the patient’s health history and extra blood tests need to be made.

What happens with the donated tissue?

Licensed tissue banks, such as TBB, process and sterilize tissues in order to obtain bone products and other tissue grafts. The tissue is processed in specialized laboratories, most of which are abroad.

How the precise removal of tissue is made and how the deseased look after the procedure?

Surgical tissue removal is performed in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards. Bones, tendons, skin, cardio-vascular tissue and corneas are taken. Then the body is carefully reconstructed. The procedure does not pose any risk of external damage to the donor.

APPLICATION OF TISSUE TRANSPLANTS

Tissue transplants contribute significantly to improving the quality of life of injured patients. In many cases, thanks to the use of allografts, additional surgical intervention can be avoided such as removing bone or tendon from the patient himself.

Tendon grafts used in an arthroscopic procedures help for a quick recovery and patient’s return to active life. Cornea transplantation saves people from loss of vision and blindness. Large burn areas are often associated with high mortality rate, but the life of the patient can be saved with the use of donor’s skin.