Whole Body Donation Blog

Top ten things you may not know about whole body donation. This list is made up of the most common things we hear from families, donors and medical professionals with regards to anatomical donation. 

10.  To plastinate or not to plastinate.  A body donation program from Heidelberg, Germany known as Bodyworlds in it's exhibit form, has created an exhibit of human bodies in various stages of motion and rest. This has given the general public a front row seat to view the endlessly fascinating human body from a startling but interesting new perspective. An experience that was only ever available to doctors and medical researchers. Well worth the price of admission.

9.    Cremation  When donating your body to science, the donor's cremation, transportation and all other costs are covered by the body donation program. Most anatomical gift programs should cover these expenses. If they do not, do not despair as there are several programs that have no hidden charges that appear at the time of need. If you have been asked to pay for transportation or other expenses in excess of $250 you should probably locate another program that likely will not have these costs. After all, donation should be practically free if not entirely free.

8.    Legal consent The legal basis for making a body donation comes by way of informed legal consent. That is consent from the individual wishing to donate their body to science AND consent from the prospective donors legal next of kin. Sometimes people inquire about donating their unaware spouse and while we appreciate this gesture we stronlgy urge these individuals to advise their spouse of this as well.

7.    Doctor's get squeamish too Doctors are routinely exposed to sights, sounds and smells in their every day lives that  would make most of us uneasy. Cadaver labs offer no solice from the sensory overload and even seasoned practicioners have difficulty at times. They do however press on and manage to keep their eyes on the objective. They understand their skill level and ability to provide better care with better outcomes depends heavily on their experiences in cadaver labs. And since a doctor's education is on-going, they will have several experiences with cadaver labs in an educational capacity throughout their career. The benifits outweigh the squeamishness and in the end the experience is one the physicians and the communities they care for will benefit from. A doctor being squeamish just shows they are just like the rest of us.

6.    How doctor's learn Doctors have an early introduction to body donation as medical students. The dontor's in training are assigned a cadaver for dissection during their anatomy and physiology portion of their studies. This however is just the tip of the iceberg for the students and soon to be practicioner. Throughout their recertification and in some cases introduction to what's new, physicians must maintain credit hours to retain their medical license and attain valuable knowledge for new procedures, standards, new techniques and technology. This practice allows a doctor to hone his or her skills and make safe their practice of those skills for use on live patients. Body donation was and continues to be one of the most important components for the advancement of medical science.

5.    Healthcare workers are big supporters I know what you're thinking. What do they know that I don't? Fact is most I have spoken to in the medical profession claim it's there way of giving back. They recall their medical training where cadavers were the gift that made their careers possible. Doctors, nurses, social workers and administrators alike register to bedome donors at death or have donated their bodies to medical science. Today this is a trend that continues to grow.

4.    Research or Education? Why not support both? The human body performs so many functions regulated by so many systems, a single donor can support several different areas of study. A lengthy medical history or lack thereof determines your elgibility. Ultimately, your decision to donate your body to science is a gift to humankind.

3.    Little known, widely misunderstood I know what you're thinking. Ewww! Body donation? Who would do that? A lot of people do, though not nearly enough. Here's the short list of the people who donate their bodies; the poor and wealthy, the sick and healthy, the old, the young, the middle aged. More women than men. Consider the facts. The US population is well over 300 million. Roughly 24,000 people a year make anatomical gifts. In an aging population such as this the reality is this. Far too few doctors, far too much disease and not enough people getting the care they need. Perhaps more donations would help support more education and research which in turn might someday put an end to diseases that cut short far too many lives.For a great place to lend your support to and to learn what the AMA (American Medical Association) is proposing as a solution please click here.

2.    Organ donor vs. whole body donor Despite popular belief, these two forms of donation are very different. Some of the facts. Both are severely under supported. Both are vitally important. Organ donation can save the lives of several and at what for some, might be a considerable expense. Body donation can save and improve the quality of life for many through education and research at little to no expense.

1.    Timing for donation Persons interested in anatomical donation may do so prior to death or the family may contact a donor program at the time of death. However, you should know there are time restrictions and most firms cannot accept a donation if the prospective donor died more than 48 hours prior to donation. Each case is managed on an individual basis and you should expect to be informed and advised on how to proceed. All programs have the legal right of refusal. Refusal whether at the time of death or in the case of a pre-registered donor, is based on a number of factors such as body mass, medical history and cause of death. Again, a representative will advise you and your family and guide you through the process.

www.lifequestanatomical.com

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