Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation

How Does Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation Work?

Choosing to be an organ, eye and tissue donor is a powerful decision.
You can give the gift of life to others by registering to be an organ donor today. Learn more about the organ donation process below.

Step One: Traumatic Injuries & End of Life Care

Unfortunately, traumatic injuries happen. When they do, emergency medical personnel on the scene and doctors in the hospital will make every lifesaving effort to restore life to the patient, regardless of one’s organ donor designation status.

Step Two: Organ Transplant Referral

Hospitals are solely responsible for declaring death. Infinite Legacy is not involved in patient care and only has authority to proceed with organ recovery after an independent hospital doctor has declared death. If a patient is declared dead by a doctor(s) in a Maryland, Washington, DC or Northern Virginia hospital, the hospital will refer the patient case to Infinite Legacy, this region’s organ procurement organization (OPO).

Step Three: Patient Evaluation for Organ Donation

Once death is declared by the hospital doctor(s), a specially trained organ recovery specialist from Infinite Legacy will go to the hospital and evaluate if the patient is medically suitable to be an organ donor.

Step Four: First Person Authorization

Infinite Legacy will check local and national registries to see if the patient is a registered organ donor. If so, we will inform the family that their loved one was registered to give the gift of life to others in need of an organ, eye or tissue transplant. Infinite Legacy maintains a legal obligation to observe all end-of-life decisions, including donor resignation. The states of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia recognize that registering to be an organ donor is a legally binding decision that Infinite Legacy and hospitals are required to honor after death.

Step Five: Family Approval & Authorization

If a patient is not registered to be an organ donor but is determined medically suitable to be one, a specially trained family services coordinator from Infinite Legacy will discuss organ, eye and tissue donation options with the patient’s family. The family can ask questions and reflect before deciding on behalf of their loved one.

Step Six: Organ, Eye & Tissue Recovery

If authorization is granted either through first-person authorization or family authorization, the patients’ viable organs and tissues will be recovered by surgical teams. Next, an organ candidate will be selected by a computer matching system based on factors such as blood and tissue type, organ/tissue size, how sick the patient is, time spent waiting and geographic proximity to the donor hospital.

Step Seven: Planning Funeral Arrangements

The decision to be an organ donor does not affect having an open casket nor does it delay any funeral services.

What is VCA Donation?

Vascular Composite Allograft (VCA) is a form of organ donation that includes donating organs like hands, feet, uteri and more. VCA patients and recipients have often experienced a traumatic event or accident that significantly changed their lifestyle and physical appearance. VCA donation has the power to increase a recipient’s quality of life and movement. It can even provide psychological and physical healing.

Did You Know?
Upper limbs, uteri, hands and faces are now considered organs.

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