The Importance of Reconstituting the Bodies of Organ and Tissue Donors: a Look at Human Dignity

Abstract

Introduction: Family refusal to authorize the donation of human organs and tissues has remained high over the years. Among the many reasons for not donating, we highlight the lack of information about the process and the family’s lack of knowledge about the donor’s wishes in life, as well as other issues, such as the appearance of the donor’s body after donation. In this sense, it is necessary to bring to light the aspects that permeate the concepts of death, human dignity, and care for the donor’s image, especially in the case of tissue donors, where the removal may be more noticeable. Objectives: An integrative literature review (ILR) was carried out, seeking to highlight gaps and characterize the process of donating human organs and tissues, with a focus on the reconstruction of the donor’s body and human dignity. In addition, the aim was to describe the experience of a professional from a human tissue bank (BTH). Methods: Using the PICO strategy, the study’s guiding question was drawn up following an IR carried out over the last 10 years, operationalized by controlled descriptors in the SciELO, LILACS, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases. In addition to the search, an experience report was described on the techniques used to reconstruct the donor’s body after the tissues used by a BTH located in the interior of the state of São Paulo were harvested. Results: Nine specific studies were found on donation and the use of prostheses to reconstruct donated areas. The results show the reasons for family refusal, as well as the care taken by the technical teams in reconstructing donors’ bodies. The family’s concern about the donor’s aesthetic situation influences acceptance for donation, so it is necessary to invest in the safety and quality of the services provided by BTH to reduce family refusal for donation. Conclusion: Clear communication and the safety of the processes involved in the procurement of human organs and tissues proved to be the best way to facilitate donation and could thus increase donations.