Tissue donation is a distinct process from organ donation, with different timing, procedures, and use cases. Here’s how it typically works:

Who can donate tissue
1. Tissue donation has a much wider eligibility window than organ donation. Organs need blood flow to stay viable, so only a small fraction of deaths qualify. Tissue doesn’t need a beating heart, so most deaths including at home, not just in a hospital ICU who can potentially be tissue donors.
2. Age range is broad too; some tissues can be recovered from donors in their 90s.

Timing
1. Tissue recovery generally must happen within 24 hours of death (some tissues, like corneas, ideally within 12–24 hours).
2. The body is typically refrigerated (not embalmed) while awaiting recovery to preserve tissue quality.

The process
1. Death is reported to a government registered organ donation organization  or tissue bank, often automatically by the hospital or medical examiner.
2. Screening — medical and social history review, similar to blood donation screening, to rule out infectious disease or cancer risk.
3. Consent verification — checking donor registry status or obtaining family consent if not already registered.
Blood testing for infectious diseases (HIV, hepatitis, etc.).
4. Recovery surgery — performed by trained technicians, usually at a funeral home, hospital, or dedicated recovery facility. It’s a sterile surgical procedure, not an autopsy.
5. Reconstruction — the body is reconstructed afterward (e.g., prosthetic inserts for bone, plastic caps for corneas) so an open-casket funeral remains possible.
6. Processing — recovered tissue goes to a tissue bank, where it’s processed, tested further, and often sterilized or freeze-dried, then stored for future use (this can be for months or years, unlike organs which are used almost immediately).

What’s commonly recovered
1. Corneas — restore sight; among the most commonly transplanted tissues.
2. Skin — used for burn victims and reconstructive surgery.
3. Bone and tendons — used in orthopedic and dental procedures, spinal fusions.
4. Heart valves and blood vessels — used in cardiac and vascular repair.
5. Cartilage and connective tissue.

Key differences from organ donation