Documentary on Tissue Donation

Recently I watched a documentary on the BBC about tissue and organ donation - it focuses on the various people that work in tissue transplantation and those who obtain skin and bone from the deceased. It was really fascinating to see how healthcare workers manage the deceased and what happens to tissue when it is obtained and used to treat patients who long for a donor. It has also made me appreciate that the field of medicine is more than 'dealing with the living'. The documentary was called "The Human Tissue Squad" and I encourage anyone to watch this, although those who are squeamish about blood I advise not to!

Here is the video embedded below:



What is especially striking is that this whole sector of healthcare is solely dependant on people opting for their loved ones' tissues to be donated, and people themselves registering onto the organ donation register. The documentary follows staff at the National Tissue Bank in Liverpool during a time of struggle to obtain tissue surgery on patients who have very particular conditions. One member of staff in the film stressed that "it's younger donors that [they] really need". In the last year this documentary was filmed, only 51 donors were under 35.

The National Tissue Bank stores an incomprehensibly diverse range of tissues, from eyes, to femoral arteries, to Achilles tendons. Tissues generally need to be collected as early as 24 hours after death. However sometimes there is a rising pressure from the bank to supply tissues needed by surgeons in many different hospitals around the country. I was also amazed at the work the nurses do at the bank to support the loved ones of those that have very recently passed away. They talk with families over the phone to decide whether tissues will be donated from the deceased. I can empathise that this could be a distressing task, one nurse mentions she takes up to 24 calls a day. Despite recognises these sad losses, it is of importance that they have enough tissues in stock in supply to the many nationwide hospitals. In one week, the bank may go without one single donation, the next, it may be a 'mad rush' to distribute the tissues with as many as four teams a day on the shift.

One outstanding factor that renders the National Tissue Bank being effective is the teamwork between colleagues within small groups. Also, there is a defining commitment to the job as one pair have to venture out for dissection as early as 5:00AM.

The importance of tissue donation means lives can be saved, however there is always a need for tissue supplies. This relies on the difficult decisions of thousands of families all over the country. An interesting question to consider is whether by law, everyone should be enrolled onto the organ doner register - then it is up to the individual to un-enroll.


Credit to the BBC for their televised documentary "The Human Tissue Squad" (available on iPlayer until 15th September 2014)