THE BENEFITS OF TISSUE DONATION

A person who is a tissue donor can potentially help up to 75 people. Most tissue transplants take place at community hospitals during surgeries that repair injuries sustained by trauma or disease.

TISSUE	USES	RECOVERY AREA
BONE	Replace lost or damaged bone Support bone, i.e., reconstruction after trauma or cancer, spinal fusion	• Upper and lower leg bones • Section of the heel • Hemi-pelvis • Upper and lower arm bone
CONNECTIVE TISSUE	Knee tendon and ligament repair Uterine and bladder slings	• Patellar & Achilles tendons • Fascia from thigh quadriceps
SKIN	Temporary covering for third-degree burns Breast reconstruction	• Full thickness skin is removed from back, abdomen and legs
VESSELS	Bypass surgeries Dialysis shunts	• Saphenous vein and femoral veins and arteries
HEART VALVES	Heart valve replacement, especially for children and women of childbearing age; recipients are not required to take anti-coagulants	• Whole heart removed. Aortic and pulmonic valves dissected for transplant
CORNEAS	Replace diseased or damaged corneas, reconstruction surgery post trauma	• Cornea removed