Whole Body Donation

[lankeela]

How do I register to donate my body to medical science?

[Invisible2]

Actually, I want to do that. I keep forgetting! I've been told that you have to see a solicitor and fill in various forms etc. Must look into it.
The only slight problem is my friends father did all the necessary but when he died they didn't need him at that time and so he had funeral etc. This bothers me because I don't want to be buried or cremated and so thought this would be the ideal solution. However, since there are no guarantees they will actually want you at the time what does a person do?

[ladclwd]

phone your local hospital, and ask for the mortuary they will normally know who to speak to regarding leaving your body to medical science , im an anatomical pathology technician we get asked that question a few times

[lankeela]

i have been looking into this, and have contacted my local university teaching hospital for information. I don't want a funeral or cremation either, so I would like to organise this before its too late!

[pinktwink]

Step1
Preregister your donation with a local medical school or university. You'll be given a registration packet that covers policies and procedures; read it very carefully.
Step2
Sign a consent form stating your desire to donate your body, and put a copy of it with your will and other personal documents. You won't be listed as a donor until a completed form has been returned and acknowledged. Cancel your decision at any time by notifying the medical school or university in writing.
Step3
Arrange for the medical school or university to be notified when you die, so that your body can be properly transported and prepared. When your corpse is delivered to the medical institution, it will be embalmed and refrigerated until it's needed for study.
Step4
Check with the school to see what its policies and procedures are regarding your body after it has been studied. Most institutions will respectfully cremate your remains at their expense and give your ashes to your loved ones. Don't expect to get paid for your donation pre- or postmortem. By law, medical schools are not permitted to purchase anyone's body.
Step5
Contact the United Network for Organ Sharing (unos.org), a national group that oversees organ transplantation procedures in this country, for more information on donating your body.
Step6
Rest in peace? Perhaps not: Your spouse, adult children, siblings, parents and guardians can arrange to have your body donated after you die by filling out an after-death donor form. In the event that your body cannot be accepted, your family needs to make alternate plans for your disposal.

[lankeela]

Actually I'm not bothered what they do with me, or even if I end up being cremated, its the funeral part that I don't want (mainly because I don't think any bugga will bother to attend lol). I hate funerals and would not want other people to have to put themselves out to do the weeping and wailing bit.

[pinktwink]

try this

The Human Tissues Authority is the organisation which oversees the donation of bodies to medical science. The HTA can be contacted at www.hta.gov.uk.

[lankeela]

Thanks a million pinktwink.

[Ice.Maiden]

Because of a lack of donors, medical students often use computer-generated images to work from these days, but I know someone who died not so long ago who WAS accepted at his local hospital, although he'd requested this some time ago.

[lankeela]

I am surprised this is not publicised more. I am sure many people would do it, after all there are many who carry a donor card and this is just the next step.

[CheekyChops]

Like Ice.Maiden says, not many teaching hospital actually use real bodies these days.

I went for a job interview at the Medical School of a University a few weeks ago and they did use real bodies but said there were very few places that did now. They had posters up all round the anatomy dept advising how you could donate but unless you were actually a student or working there, how would you ever see the posters? And if you work there or are a student, you would know that you could donate your body anyway! That puzzled me slightly!

[bednobs]

it also depends what you die of whether they will accept you

[danchip]

most bodies that are donated these days are used to practise new plastic surgery techniques so you'll be helping celebs to mutilate their faces a bit more

[lankeela]

It was the dentistry bit that fascinated me - imagine all those trainee dentists pulling and prodding your teeth and you can't feel a thing! (Thats if I have any left by then lol).

[sqad617]

danchip...what a load of cobblers. Plastic surgical techniques depend upon tissue acceptance, difficult to evaluate after death. Surgical techniques are however learnt on cadavers.

[danchip]

my cousin looked into it and was told a lot of anatomical procedures are learnt on computers so bodies are predominantly used for surgical practices of which the majority is cosmetic procedures, how do you think they practise resetting noses and shaving bits of bone off etc all the things you wouldn't do on a live person

[sqad617]

danchip.....certainly not on cadavers.