Recipients experience various medical conditions that can only be resolved through the application of donated allograft. Please explore these profound individual stories, the types of allograft available to patients and the process it takes to make it possible.
Hospitals are required by federal law to report deaths to donation organizations. When this happens, agencies like United Tissue Resources will contact the hospital to evaluate the patient for donor eligibility. Referrals may also originate from a medical examiner’s office, justice of the peace, or hospice care.
The UTR Staff operates on 24 hours a day to provide families with the option of the donation and facilitate the gift.
The donor’s medical and social history as well as blood testing and medical records is evaluated to protect recipients from disease transmission by a tissue processor. The tissue processor further evaluates the donated tissue and prepares it for implantation.
Doctors and medical staff work with United Tissue Resources to then facilitate receipt of the appropriate allograft for their patients.
Heart valves help repair cardiac defects and are used to replace diseased or deformed valves. Donated valves may be life-saving for these recipients. Most recipients of heart valve transplants are infants and children.
Long bones of the leg and the crest of the hip become several smaller grafts used for spinal fusions, hip and knee replacement surgeries, repair damaged or diseased bone, and can help prevent amputations. Another common use for bone grafts is to replace damaged bone around the teeth that can occur from trauma or periodontal disease.
Saphenous veins can be used in cardiac bypass surgeries and in preventing amputations in individuals with chronic circulation problems by restoring blood flow to a leg.
Skin grafts help the accelerated healing of burns and other wounds. It is also used to reduce scar tissue, reduce fluid loss, and promote protection from bacterial infection. Skin grafts recovered to the fascia, called full thickness grafts, are used to treat patients experiencing severe abdominal injuries, complicated hernias, breast reconstruction after mastectomy and other soft tissue defects.
Tendon and ligament grafts are transplanted into patients who have sustained injuries that decrease mobility. Fascia is the tough membrane that encases muscles. It is used as a tendon to repair injuries to restore mobility. Grafts from donated fascia can also be used as an internal support for organs such as the bladder.
Nerve injuries may result in loss of motor function, sensory function, or both. Nerve injuries may occur as a result of trauma or acute compression, which can result from a herniated disc in the spine and even muscle sprains. Nerve grafts address nerve discontinuities in patients by providing the structure for the body’s own regeneration process.
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