Tissue donation: information for mortuary staff

When is the donation procedure in the mortuary?

Tissue donation is possible if someone passes away outside the ICU. In that case, the donation procedure often takes place in the hospital mortuary. Sometimes in a funeral home, but never at the deceased's home.

This is different for organ donation. This procedure always takes place in a hospital operating room. An organ donor only comes to the mortuary for final care.

Points of attention for tissue retrieval

Wait to move, dress, and care for the deceased until after the donation procedure. For tissue donation, it is important that the retrieval team can examine the deceased first.

Preparing for tissue retrieval

Retrieval of tissues

WUON is the retrieval organization in the Netherlands that handles tissue retrieval after death.

• The retrieval team that removes the tissues is available 24 hours a day.
• The retrieval team comes to the hospital mortuary to retrieve tissues. The mortuary staff does not need to do anything for this.
• Before the donation procedure takes place, the retrieval team verifies the identity of the donor. Then, the retrieval team examines the body and draws blood.
• The duration of the retrieval varies per tissue.

Is the procedure completed?

The retrieval team then notifies the mortuary that they are finished. The retrieval team leaves a form behind after donation with information about the procedure.

After retrieval, the tissues go to the tissue banks. Further examination takes place here. The tissue bank assesses the quality of the tissues. After approval, the tissues are processed and stored.

Care and clothing after donation

It is important that the donor looks neat after the tissues have been retrieved. Ask if the family knows what the donor looks like after donation. Sometimes loved ones want to help with the care and dressing. This can only be done after the donation procedure. After skin and bone donation, we advise against letting family help. After the final care, the family decides whether the deceased will be laid out at home or in a funeral home.

Tissue retrieval

Donation and autopsy

Tissue donation is best performed before an autopsy. If necessary, donation of eye tissue, skin, or bone and tendon tissue can also take place after an autopsy. Heart valves and the large artery (aorta) can no longer be retrieved after an autopsy.

• Is the autopsy scheduled earlier than the donation procedure? Then the retrieval team or the Organ Center will ask the pathologist to draw blood from the donor before the autopsy.
• Loved ones do not always know the difference between donation and autopsy. Therefore, explain the difference. And tell them that the deceased will remain in the mortuary a little longer due to the autopsy.

Reimbursements after tissue retrieval

The additional costs incurred by funeral homes and mortuaries during a tissue donation procedure are covered by the NTS. Loved ones of a donor should never receive a bill for these additional costs.

More about reimbursements