Additional Information About
the Donor Program
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| QUESTIONS
YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT DONATION |
WHY IS TEMPORAL
BONE DONATION SO IMPORTANT?
The collection and study of
well-documented pathological human temporal bones is essential for continued progress in
elucidating disease processes of hearing, balance, and facial nerve function, for
validation of clinical diagnoses during life, and to assess the efficacy of medical and
surgical treatment. Because the structures of the auditory and vestibular system are
inaccessible during life, the only way to study their pathology and anatomy is by
examining the temporal bone after death.
All temporal bone donations come through the
Registry’s Boston office, and are then assigned to one of the
active collaborating laboratories
around the
country.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Does removal of
the temporal bones change the donor's appearance?
No. Removal of the temporal bones (and brain stem) does not change the appearance of the
head, face, or outer ear. So, it does not affect funeral or burial arrangements, including
an open casket.
Is there a cost
to the donor's family or estate?
No. The medical professionals who remove the temporal bones donate their time or are paid
by the laboratory receiving the temporal bones.
Am I too old to
be a temporal bone donor?
No. No one is too young or too old to be a donor. Age does not affect the scientific value
of your temporal bones. Unlike donating organs for transplant,
donation of temporal bones is not dependent on normal function. By studying temporal bones
with documented hearing, balance or facial disorders, scientists can gain valuable
knowledge about disorders of the ear and how to treat them.
Can I donate my
body to science for anatomical study and also donate my temporal bones?
It depends. The policies of donor programs for anatomical study vary. Discuss
this with your local body donor program to determine whether it is possible to donate to
one or both programs.
Can I donate
other organs for transplantation as well as donating my temporal bones for research?
Yes. The removal of your temporal bones would simply be delayed a few hours so
that transplantable organs can be removed first.
What is the role
of my next of kin?
In most states, the next of kin makes the final decision about organ or body
donations. Inform them and your doctors of your wish to be a temporal bone donor. Be sure
that they understand that their cooperation is needed.
PROVIDING MEDICAL RECORDS
The scientific value of your temporal bone
donation is greatly enhanced if it is accompanied by up-to-date medical records.
Therefore, we encourage donors to send records of all hearing tests, balance tests, and
ear surgery to the Registry. Results of hearing tests (audiograms) that you may
have had are extremely valuable. Researchers need your medical records so that
they can correlate and link your ear disorder(s) to the changes they observe in your
donated temporal bones.
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