Page 24 - News_Combine_v3

ISSUE 6, 2020 • 33

Change a Life, Consider Femoral Head Donation

id you know that at the What does the process
time of hip replacement entail?
surgery you can choose to
Ddonate the femoral head At the time of the hip replacement
to the tissue bank, instead of having surgery, you will be requested to consider
it discarded as medical waste! donating your femoral head to the tissue
Any patient undergoing hip replacement bank. Should you agree, you will need
surgery may consent to donating their to provide your written consent and to
discarded femoral head to a tissue bank, answer some health-related questions.
such as the Centre for Tissue Engineering
(CTE). At CTE, the femoral head will be What tests are required
screened and processed, then prepared and why?
to make it suitable for implant into other
patients. If you consent to donating your femoral
CTE continuously strives to make tissue head; blood samples will be procured
transplantation options more accessible during your hip replacement surgery and
to the South African medical fraternity, sent for laboratory screening. Approval
due to the dire shortage in all disciplines is granted once blood test results have
of tissue for human transplantation. been passed. All donors are screened
for transmittable disease such as HIV, Ball section of the hip joint.
How does this help? Syphilis, Hepatitis B and C. The femoral head is removed in theatre. Rather Hip replacement completed.
After removal of the femoral head, a prosthesis
Screening ensures a product that is
Donated bone tissue is used to help disease free and safe for application, than being discarded, the patient may choose is fi tted for normal functioning of the hip.
to donate it to the tissue bank.
patients undergoing spinal or orthopaedic complying with international standards.
surgery, to fill a bone void, or to act as a CTE will not run any of the tests without
reconstructive graft in adults and children your free and informed consent, and all
alike. test results remain confidential. The Centre for Tissue Engineering (CTE) is a multi-discipline human tissue bank with
the Tshwane University of Technology, as authorized by the Department of Health,
Why the femoral head? What are the criteria? in terms of Regulations R182 of RG No. 9699 of 02 March 2012, to source, process
and supply human tissue for implant, transplant and therapeutic purposes.
Generally, the damaged or diseased Anyone older than 16 years of age may Authorisation number J1/2/4/6TB-001052014.
femoral head removed during the hip donate.
replacement surgery is discarded as
‘medical waste’ and incinerated. However, Can I change my mind
although the cartilage of the femoral head
may be damaged, there typically remains about donating?
healthy cancellous tissue beneath the You may withdraw your consent at any
damaged bone, once cleaned. time, up until the time that the bone is
transplanted.
The cost involved If you have any concerns about the

donation process, simply notify the Tissue Innovation in Living Donation. Changing Lives.
All costs for the donation or the testing Coordinator:
of the blood specimen are borne by the Sister Lia Jorge: 012 349 3500 /
tissue bank. Having a hip replacement?
078 845 0424.
Wouldn’t you like to make a difference?
By simply choosing to donate rather than incinerate,
you can help give someone else an improved quality of life.
Pelvis Never heard of ‘living donation’?
Did you know that you can choose whether to donate your discarded femoral head to
the tissue bank, at the time of your hip replacement procedure?
Using a special process to remove the damaged bone and expose the
beautiful white porous bone beneath, the tissue bank prepares
the donated bone to make it suitable for implant into another patient.
Femoral head How does this help?
Your donated bone tissue can be utilised in spinal OR orthopaedic surgery to fill a
bone void, or to act as a reconstructive graft for both children and adults.

The process is simple:
Speak to your surgeon to indicate your wish to donate.

There are no costs:
Donating costs you nothing, but you could be helping
Femur someone else return to living a full and pain-free life.
For more info:
please contact our Tissue Coordinator:
Hip and leg bone. Sr. Lia Jorge: 078 845 0424
Office: 012 349 3500

The Centre for Tissue Engineering is authorized by the Department of Health,
For more information on femoral head donation and on becoming an organ in terms of Regulations R182 of RG No. 9699 of 02 March 2012, to source,
and tissue donor, please visit our website: www.tissuedonation.org.za process and supply human tissue for implant, transplant and therapeutic purposes.
For more information on femoral head donation and on becoming
Tollfree number: 0800 847783 (tissue) an organ & tissue donor, please visit our website: www.tissuedonation.org.za
Authorisation number J1/2/4/6TB-001052014.