Sign Up to Save a Life - Tissue Donation

What is tissue donation?

Every year hundreds of lives are saved with the help of donated organs such as hearts and kidneys. But what is not often realised is that donated tissues such as heart valves, tendons, skin and corneas can dramatically improve the quality of life for recipients, and even save lives.

The main differences between organ and tissue donations are:

Tissue can be obtained from people up to 48 hours after their death.
Tissue can be stored for much longer than organs. In fact tissue can be stored for up to 10 years in some cases.

Some tissues, such as bone, can be donated during planned orthopaedic operations e.g. hip and knee replacements, when the surgeon removes some bone as part of the procedure itself. In the past it would have been discarded, but with the advances in orthopaedic surgery, this bone can now be used for the benefit of other patients.

Donated bone may be used in a variety of orthopaedic operations, such as correcting spinal deformities in children, and certain hip replacement operations. It is also used for grafting fractures that have failed to heal, or where diseased bone is removed, and bone graft is used to 'fill the gap', and growth of new bone is encouraged.

However, most tissues are donated, after death, by people who have expressed a wish during their lifetime to help others in this way. Often they will have carried an organ donor card and/or discussed their wishes with their family and friends.

Why tissue donation?

Tissue transplantation offers huge benefits to many people, relieving their pain, helping them to see, or walk again, or return to work. A tissue transplant can even save lives.

Donation of tissues, especially in cases when organ donation is not possible, can offer the opportunity for families to fulfil their loved one's wishes. Many bereaved families take comfort in the knowledge that their loved one has helped others in this way.

What tissues can be donated after death?

Many tissues can be donated after death.

Corneas can be transplanted into patients suffering from severe eye disease or injury. Sometimes the sclera, the white outer coat of the eye, is also transplanted during reconstructive eye surgery.

Jean Black, 69, is one of the first patients to have her eye sight restored after NHS Lothian's team at The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh became the first in Scotland to carry out the ground-breaking procedure in April 2009. To hear more on Jean's story click here.

Heart valves can be transplanted to save the lives of patients, including young children born with malformed hearts, or suffering from diseased or damaged valves.
Bone can also be transplanted to replace or repair defects in the skeleton.
Tendons can be used to restore mobility in patients with badly damaged knee joints, usually following sporting injuries.
Skin can help save the lives of severely burned victims. The skin graft helps to reduce pain and prepare the underlying tissues for later cosmetic grafting. It also helps to reduce scarring in these patients. It can take many donations of skin to treat a severely burned patient.