Organ & Tissue Donation
Organ, eye, and tissue donation can save lives, restore health, and help others after death. Learn how donation works, who may be eligible, how it can affect funeral arrangements, and how to record your decision.
Understand the Decision Before You Register
Organ and tissue donation is different from whole body donation. Organs may be transplanted to save or extend another person’s life, while donated eyes and tissues may restore sight, mobility, or other functions.
Whether donation can occur is determined at or near the time of death. Age, medical history, location of death, and other circumstances may affect what can actually be donated.
If donation matters to you, register your decision and tell the people who may be responsible for your arrangements.
Organ, Eye & Tissue Donation Are Different
These types of donation serve different purposes and may be possible under different circumstances. Registering as a donor does not mean that every organ or tissue will necessarily be recovered.
Organ Donation
Organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and intestines may be transplanted to save or significantly extend another person's life.
Organ recovery usually requires very specific medical circumstances and generally occurs in a hospital.
Eye Donation
Corneas and, in some circumstances, other eye tissue may be donated to restore sight or support medical treatment and research.
Eye donation may be possible in circumstances where organ donation is not.
Tissue Donation
Donated skin, bone, connective tissue, veins, heart valves, and other tissues may help people recover from injury, illness, or surgery.
Tissue donation can often occur after deaths that do not qualify for organ donation.
Who Can Donate
Do not rule yourself out because of age, illness, or medical history. Whether organs, eyes, or tissues can be donated is determined by donation professionals based on the person's condition and circumstances at the time of death.
A person who cannot donate organs may still be able to donate eyes or tissues. The safest approach is to register your wishes and allow donation professionals to determine what, if anything, can be used.
Eligibility Is Determined at the Time of Death
Registering records your wishes, but it does not guarantee that donation will be possible. Medical condition, cause and location of death, timing, and other factors can affect eligibility.
How Donation Works After Death
The process depends on whether organ, eye, or tissue donation may be possible. Donation organizations work with hospitals, medical examiners, coroners, and families to evaluate eligibility and coordinate recovery.
- Donation professionals review the person’s medical condition and circumstances of death.
- If donation may be possible, the appropriate donor organization is contacted.
- Registration and authorization are reviewed before recovery proceeds.
- Organs and tissues are medically evaluated and matched or prepared for appropriate use.
- Recovery is performed by trained professionals using surgical procedures.
- The body is then released so funeral or disposition arrangements can continue.
Organ Donation Is Possible in Relatively Few Deaths
Transplantable organs must remain supplied with oxygen and blood until recovery. As a result, organ donation usually occurs after death in a hospital under circumstances that allow the organs to remain medically viable.
Eye and tissue donation can often occur under a much broader range of circumstances and may still be possible after a death outside a hospital.
Donation Usually Does Not Prevent Funeral Services
Organ, eye, and tissue recovery is performed with care and generally does not prevent a viewing, visitation, funeral, burial, cremation, or other customary disposition.
Donation may affect timing, so the donation organization and funeral provider should coordinate before preparation or disposition begins.
Families are not charged for the medical costs associated with organ, eye, or tissue recovery. They remain responsible for ordinary medical, funeral, cemetery, cremation, or other disposition expenses that would otherwise apply.
Tell the Funeral Provider About Donation
If donation is underway or being considered, make sure the funeral provider knows before embalming, cremation, burial, or other preparation begins. Seem to
How to Register as a Donor
The most reliable way to communicate your wishes is to register them through an official donor registry and make sure the people close to you know what you want.
Organ & Tissue Donation Is Not Whole Body Donation
Whole body donation generally provides the body to a medical school, research program, or other organization for education or research. It has different eligibility rules, procedures, timelines, and effects on final disposition.
Someone interested in both types of donation should review the requirements carefully because one form of donation may affect eligibility for another.
Reliable Donation Resources
Donate Life America
Information about organ, eye, and tissue donation and links to donor registries.
OrganDonor.gov
Information about organ, eye, and tissue donation and links to donor registries.
United Network for Organ Sharing
Information about organ, eye, and tissue donation and links to donor registries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to questions often associated with this topic.
Can I be too old to donate?
Age alone does not determine whether donation is possible. Medical professionals evaluate eligibility based on the person's health and circumstances at the time of death.
Can I donate if I have a medical condition?
Possibly. Many medical conditions do not automatically prevent all forms of donation. Register your wishes and allow donation professionals to determine eligibility.
Does donation prevent an open-casket funeral?
Usually not. Organ, eye, and tissue recovery is performed carefully, and customary viewing and funeral arrangements are generally still possible.
Does my family have to pay for donation?
The family is generally not charged for costs directly related to organ, eye, or tissue recovery. Normal medical, funeral, cemetery, cremation, or other disposition expenses may still apply.
Is registering enough?
Registration is the clearest way to document your decision, but it is still helpful to tell the people who may be involved after your death so they know what you want and can provide useful information when contacted.