Tissue Donation
Hundreds of thousands of people benefit annually from tissue transplantation, which can provide patients with opportunities to experience otherwise impossible events. Great care is taken in the removal of tissues to ensure acceptable presentation of the body for funeral purposes. According to the most recent estimates, approximately 3.3 million tissues are distributed yearly in the United States.
One tissue donor can enhance or restore the lives of more than 75 people.
Transplanted skin is used as replacement tissue over 1,000,000 times per year. Three quarters of this usage occurs in life-saving circumstances such as severe burns. It is estimated that another 500,000 patients could have their wound-healing time shortened if enough skin were available. Skin is removed in a thin layer, generally from the back, buttocks, and back of the thighs. Many surgeries, such as open heart and post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, also utilize skin grafts.
Bone allografts can be used to replace bone that has been destroyed by tumors, trauma, or infection. Cancellous or cortical bone can also be used to facilitate a healing response in total joint arthroplasty, anterior cervical disk fusion, or flatfoot deformities.
Soft tissue allografts such as tendons and fascia, are most commonly used in ligament reconstructions, craniotomy and dural defects repairs, eyelid repair and periodontal surgery.
Corneas are used in over 45,000 transplant procedures yearly to restore sight to people who have been injured by disease or trauma.
Heart valves are used in cardiovascular surgery for patients with valvular disease and can be lifesaving to children and adults with absent or damaged valves.
Birth tissue, placental tissue donated by new mothers after the birth of their baby and the only tissue recovered and processed by LifeLink Tissue Bank from a living donor, is utilized as a protective covering or barrier.