Whole Body Donation

What happens to a body after whole-body donation depends upon the type of organization the donor has designated to receive it. When a body is donated to a whole body donation program at a university or medical school, it may be used for different purposes and undergo different preparation types. If it is preserved for anatomical study, the most common method is by embalming, in which a preservative solution is introduced to the arterial system.  After embalming, the body is stored for a short period of time to ensure that the preservation is adequate for long-term study. Then it is assigned for use, often to a health sciences student such as those studying medicine, dentistry, nursing or physical therapy, who will study the body during anatomy training. Donated bodies may also be used unpreserved for clinical training or research, may be lightly preserved or used as skeletons. When the study period is complete, the body is typically cremated or disposed of using alkaline hydrolysis. The cremated remains, or ashes, may be buried, placed in a niche or scattered in a cemetery or at sea. In some cases, they may be returned to the family. 

When a body is donated to a private company, the body may be used in many different ways. Known as non-anatomical donation organizations or NADOs, these private businesses operate in a largely unregulated industry that provides bodies and body parts to companies and institutions all over the globe. Donated bodies are typically disarticulated or recovered for body parts to fulfill requests. For example, a company developing a medical device for Parkinson’s disease might request a brain; a company that makes artificial heart valves might request a heart or a heart and lungs, or a company developing better helmets for football players might request a skull. Thus, one donated body can easily be distributed to many different locations all over the world. Some NADOs may return partial cremated remains to families for disposition upon request.

Health care researchers, medical device developers, and biotech companies rely on body donations to perfect technological advances that have the potential to benefit millions of individuals worldwide. However, it is important for anyone who is considering donating their body to science to understand what type of donation program they are registered with and what mission their donation is supporting.

Sources:

University of Minnesota Medical School: What is Whole Body Donation?: Found online at 

“Anatomical Donation Program”. University of California Health. https://www.ucop.edu/uc-health/departments/anatomical-donation-program.html 

“Made in America: U.S. body brokers supply world with human torsos, limbs and heads”. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-bodies-export/ 

The quick answer is YES, anyone can register to be both an organ donor and whole-body donor. You can give the gift of life or an improved life for someone in need while still contributing your body to be used for scientific discovery. However, both organ donation and whole-body donation programs are mutually exclusive. This means that if you want to be a donor for both, you will need to register separately to do so.

Here are a few important things to note to make certain your wishes are fulfilled.

Everyone has the right to set their priority for their donation wishes, whether they would prefer organ and tissue donation or whole body donation. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, the easiest of which is to sign up as a donor when you obtain or renew your driver’s license. When registering for whole-body donation, you should indicate that you are also a registered organ donor. According to United Tissue Network, some organizations and universities that support research will accept a whole-body donor who has also donated an organ, tissue, bone or cornea. However, most medical schools, which need an intact body with which to train medical students, will not. 

Other organizations may require an evaluation at the time of donation. For example, Mayo Clinic’s coordinators will consult with the organ donation organization to evaluate whether your whole-body donation is still acceptable after your death. If you have a desire to be a double donor, or you have already signed up to do so, you may want to contact your designated whole-body program to ensure they will accept you.

If for any reason organ or tissue donation is not feasible, your body may very likely still be eligible for whole-body donation. You can have peace of mind knowing that you have taken the extra steps to guarantee your body’s value to science in either case.  

If it is your wish to donate your organs as well as your whole body, it is best that you register to do so while you are still alive. Alert your family to this decision and inform them of where you have registered for each. This can help to ensure your wishes are carried out by medical staff.

Sources

“Frequently Asked Questions”. United Tissue Network. https://unitedtissue.org/whole-body-donation/faqs/ 

“Making a Donation”. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/body-donation/making-donation 

According to the University of California at Davis, any adult (age 18 and over) is eligible to donate their body to the whole body donation program. There is typically no upper age limit and donors do not have to be previously healthy: people with cancer, diabetes, arthritis, or heart disease are generally acceptable. People with medical devices like pacemakers or prosthesis, with surgical implants, or those with piercings and tattoos are also eligible.

However, there are a number of medical conditions that may preclude your acceptance. Some of these include:

• Hepatitis B or C
• HIV/AIDS
• Tuberculosis
• Kuru
• Creutzfeldt-Jacob’s disease
• MRSA/VRSA (Methicillin resistant and vancomycin resistant staphylococcus aureus)
• Recent extensive surgery
• Severe trauma to the body
• Extreme obesity (*Many organizations set weight limits)
• Severe muscle wasting or cachexia

Criteria for exclusion can vary, so it is important to check with the program. Bodies that have been autopsied or embalmed may be excluded as well. However, organ donation does not necessarily preclude whole-body donation, said Deanna Santana, the director of public relations at Sierra Donor Services, in an interview with SevenPonds. If you want to be an organ donor and donate your body to science, you must register separately for both and take note of important factors to ensure you qualify [link to Q/A addressing both].

Keep in mind, however, that even if your medical condition at the time of your death doesn’t exclude you, there may be other reasons why you may not be accepted into the program of your choice. For example, the medical school you chose may already have enough bodies for the number of students studying in the lab. Or the NADO may be at capacity at the time you die. 

Legal or consent issues may also arise. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan, such as direct cremation, [link to cremation], in place so your family isn’t left to make final arrangements immediately after your death. You may register with more than one NADO to optimize your chances of acceptance, but there are legal implications to this since the most recent disposition plan you make is the one that will generally be accepted as your final wishes. Indicating your priorities in your advance directive can be helpful in this regard, especially if you do intend to have a backup plan such as direct cremation.

Remember, too, that even if you didn’t register with a whole-body donation program before your death, your next of kin may authorize donation after you die. It may be a little more logistically challenging, but most programs will work with the family to expedite the process if they can. 

Sources 

“Body Donation Program: Frequently Asked Questions”. UC Davis Health. https://health.ucdavis.edu/body-donation/frequently-asked-questions 

“Non-transplant Anatomical Donation”. American Association of Tissue Banks. https://www.aatb.org/nados 

If you want to donate your body for scientific research, start by contacting a nearby university medical school. Many medical schools use donated bodies for training students in the anatomy lab, for clinical skills development or for research and have a whole-body donation program on site. The American Association for Anatomy’s website offers multiple lists to direct you to participating universities in your state.

Once you have identified a university in your area with a whole-body donation program, contact them directly to review the process with the program coordinator. In most cases, you’ll be asked to fill out a registration form. When this has been reviewed and you’re accepted as a donor, the program coordinator will send you an identification card. 

In addition to medical schools, some private companies accept whole bodies to be used for research and training at locations throughout the U.S.and around the world. Bodies donated to these organizations are used for many different purposes, including:

• Education 
• Research
• Training
• Development of drugs or biologics 

Known as non-transplant anatomical donation organizations or NADOs, these private companies are regulated in a handful of state laws in terms of how they obtain consent from the donor or their family, how they handle and transport the body of the deceased, and how tissue is distributed, since the whole body is rarely used. In other states, they are not regulated. If you wish to contract with a company that ascribes to the higher standards of the American Association of Tissue Banks, you can find a list of accredited NADOs in our available sources. 

Whether you donate your body to a private NADO or a medical school, there is typically no cost to the donor or their family for transportation, tissue recovery or final disposition. Companies make their money from the organizations that receive the body or, in most cases, body parts. These may be billed as handling or processing fees. 

After studies are complete and/or usable tissue removed, the body will either be cremated or disposed of via alkaline hydrolysis (link to heading on AH in alternatives to burial and cremation], each of which turns the body to “ash.” Some universities may return donor bodies to the next of kin for burial. Each organization has its own protocol as to what happens to the ashes afterwards. UCLA’s whole body donation program, for example, scatters the ashes at sea, but some organizations will return the ashes to the family upon request. 

As with organ and tissue donation, you should document your plans for whole-body donation in your advance directive and inform your family of your decision. Keep your identification card with your important documents, and make sure your loved ones know who to call. Most NADOs require that donated bodies arrive at their facility within 48 hours of death.

Sources

“Human Body Donation Resources”. American Association for Anatomy. https://www.anatomy.org/ANATOMY/About-Us/What-Is-Anatomy/Body-Donation-Policy.aspx 

“Accredited Tissue Bank Search”. American Association of Tissue Banks. https://www.aatb.org/accredited-bank-search