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Referral |
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The donation process begins with a referral to the New York Organ Donor Network, an Organ Procurement Organization from one of the 109 hospitals in the Greater New York metropolitan area, that a death has occurred or that a death is imminent. |
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The hospital notifies the Donor Network by calling
1-800-GIFT-4-NY. An initial, general screening of the potential donor occurs. Donors who pass the initial screening move on to the evaluation process. |
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Evaluation |
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Trained Consent Coordinators from the New York Organ Donor Network staff members work with the hospital staff members in gathering information to determine if the patient is medically suitable for tissue donation. Factors considered include the patient's age, cause of death, and overall health status prior to death. |
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Informed Consent |
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Once a potential tissue donor is identified as medically suitable, the Donor Network's Consent Coordinators contact the legal next of kin, usually by telephone, to offer condolences and to share information about tissue donation. |
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If the next of kin agrees to this gift, the Consent Coordinator and next of kin complete a detailed process where consent for tissue donation is obtained by telephone. |
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The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act identifies specific people who may grant consent for tissue donation, whether or not the patient has signed a New York driver's license or New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. Of course, if a patient has signed a document indicating a desire to be a donor, the decision to consent is made much easier for the next of kin. |
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Consent Coordinators interview the next of kin and gather additional information to complete a medical and behavioral risk questionnaire. This is similar to the questionnaire completed by blood donors. |
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The Donor Network shares the information gathered with the affiliated tissue banks that make further evaluations to ensure that the donor's tissue is suitable for transplantation. |
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Recovery |
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Once the tissue bank has accepted the donor, the Consent Coordinator contacts the Donor Network's Tissue Recovery Staff to coordinate the recovery with the hospital. All recoveries occur within a sterile environment. |
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The Donor Network's Recovery Team recovers all tissues with the exception of eyes, corneas and skin. The affiliated eye and skin banks have their own specially trained recovery teams that recover these tissues. |
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After recovery, the surgical team, for example, replaces recovered bone from the donor with prosthetics to restore the body to its natural shape. Prosthetic eyes are used to restore the natural shape of the eyes. |
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