Tissue donation involves retrieving human-derived materials from a deceased donor for therapeutic use, transplantation, medical education, or scientific research. Unlike a complete organ transplant, this process focuses on structural components that can be processed and stored for future use in numerous reconstructive procedures. These materials provide the foundation necessary for healing injuries and restoring function to people with various conditions.
Defining Tissue Donation vs. Organ Donation
The fundamental difference between tissue and organ donation lies in the type of biological material recovered. Organ donation involves the procurement of vascularized, life-sustaining organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. These organs require a constant blood supply to remain viable and must be transplanted immediately into the recipient. Organ recovery is typically limited to donors who have been declared brain dead while still maintained on mechanical support.
Tissue donation, by contrast, involves non-vascularized materials like bone, skin, tendons, and heart valves. These tissues contain fewer living cells and are not immediately dependent on the donor’s blood flow to remain viable for transplantation. This extended window means that tissue recovery can often occur up to 24 hours after the donor has experienced cardiac death, significantly increasing the potential donor pool.
Types of Tissues Recovered and Their Purpose
A single tissue donor provides various structural materials used to treat numerous recipients. The primary types of tissues recovered and their purposes include:
- Musculoskeletal tissues, such as bone, tendons, and ligaments, which are utilized in orthopedic procedures to repair injuries, reconstruct joints, and aid in spinal fusion surgeries.
- Skin tissue, which is used as a temporary biological dressing for patients suffering from severe burns or extensive skin loss, providing protection against infection and fluid loss.
- Heart valves, which are transplanted into patients with congenital heart defects or valve disease for cardiac reconstruction.
- Ocular tissue, specifically the cornea, which is recovered to restore sight to people suffering from corneal blindness.
The Process of Tissue Recovery and Processing
Tissue Banks manage the recovery process once authorization is secured for donation. Recovery must be initiated within the established post-mortem interval, typically within 24 hours of cardiac death, to ensure tissue viability and quality. The recovery procedure itself is a sterile surgical operation performed by trained recovery specialists in a controlled environment.
After recovery, tissues are sent to the Tissue Bank for meticulous processing. This preparation includes comprehensive testing of the donor’s blood for communicable diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis, to ensure recipient safety. The tissue is often sterilized, sometimes using methods like low-dose gamma irradiation, to eliminate potential pathogens. Processed tissues are carefully preserved, frequently through cryopreservation or freeze-drying, and held in quarantine until a final review confirms the donor’s eligibility.
Who Can Be a Tissue Donor
The criteria for tissue donation are more flexible and inclusive than those for organ donation, allowing a broader range of people to become donors. There is no official upper age limit for tissue donation; some donors have been over 100 years old. This is because the structural components of tissue often remain medically useful regardless of the donor’s age.
Final eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis at the time of death following a thorough evaluation of the donor’s medical and social history. Certain systemic conditions, such as active sepsis, specific neurological disorders, or most active cancers that have metastasized, may exclude a person due to the risk of disease transmission. However, being medically disqualified from organ donation or having common chronic illnesses does not automatically prevent tissue donation.