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This are the frequently asked questions about body donation
- How can I donate my body for Plastination? - Are there conditions for donating my body? - Under which circumstances does the IfP accept my body? - How does my body get to the IfP? - What happens to my body during Plastination? - What costs are incurred? - Where can I obtain further information?
How can I donate my body for Plastination?First
of all, by giving your consent to donate your body for Plastination,
you are not signing any sort of contract, merely a declaration of
intent. No fees must be paid for a body to be donated, and the donor
will not receive any money either. There are a few steps that
you can take to ensure that your body is donated for Plastination after
your death. You must make the following arrangements: Complete the "Body Donation Program – Donor’s Consent" form in duplicate, sign both copies and return them to us. If your relatives are not in favor of your body donation, it is
advisable to have your signature witnessed by an attorney on both forms. We will countersign one of the forms and return it to you to confirm
its receipt. You should file this with your personal documents or give
it to a relative for safekeeping. You will also be given a body donor
ID card.
Are there conditions for donating my body?
A few conditions must be met for a donation, but there are not as many as you might think: The age of the body being donated does not matter. On the one hand, the
shape of the organs does not vary much with age, and on the other hand,
medical students will probably have to treat patients of all ages when
they are qualified physicians. It is also possible to be a
regular organ donor in addition to donating your body for Plastination.
Donating an organ can save lives and is therefore always given priority
over donating a body. The presence of a disease is not
generally detrimental to donating your body; after all, medical
students must learn to recognize these conditions. The differences
between organs from one body to the next are essential for proper
anatomical training, and this is where genuine, permanent specimens
truly have an advantage over artificial models. Amputated limbs also do not represent an obstacle to becoming a body donor.
The IfP is grateful to receive donated bodies. The following conditions must be fulfilled:
The donor has to have died of natural causes. The body must be largely intact, i.e. it cannot have been subjected to
a postmortem examination for pathological or forensic reasons. The IfP
is also unable to accept bodies that have been severely disfigured as
the result of an accident. If a fatal accident does occur, and parts of
the body are severed as a result, the body will have to undergo a
postmortem examination in any case. This is usually necessary to
clarify issues relating to liability and/or insurance claims. We must have written consent from the donor (the form "Donor’s
Consent") or, if applicable, a relative ("Consent of a Relative").
There is no fee for donating your body. If the IfP receives a body from
relatives or the authorities without having written consent from the
deceased, the body can only be accepted if neither the deceased nor any
relatives have voiced any objections. By giving consent, a body donor also agrees that he or she will not be buried, as the whole body is used for Plastination.
If
the body is not suitable for Plastination, e.g. because decomposition
is too advanced, it will used for instructional specimens to whatever
extent is possible, e.g. for producing bone or ligament specimens. The
IfP will make a decision on an individual basis in the event of any of
the following: the deceased has died of a highly contagious or
infectious disease; it is not clear who will pay for the transportation
costs; or any other unforeseen circumstances that may arise. We are
under no legal obligation to accept a body.
How does a body get to the Institute for Plastination?
When
a donor dies, the next of kin should notify the IfP and make
arrangements with a funeral home for the body to be transported to the
IfP as soon as possible. In warm seasons, arrival at the IfP should not
take longer than two or three days after death; during the colder
months, the interval can be up to ten days. The regular
formalities that arise when someone dies must be handled before the
body can be transferred. If death occurs on a Sunday or a
holiday when the IfP is not open and if the deceased died at
home, local undertakers can be called in and asked to take the body to
their mortuary for the time being. The next of kind or the funeral home
should then contact the IfP in timely fashion so that the necessary
arrangements can be made.
What happens to a body during Plastination?
For
more information about the process of Plastination, please see the
complete brochure, "Donating Your Body for Plastination". When a body
reaches the IfP, the first step is to stop the decomposition process,
either by deep-freezing the body or by injecting a fixing agent into
the blood vessels. Ideally, the next stage is to consult the deceased's
medical records to plan how to proceed. A decision is reached as to how
the organs, parts of the body, or even the whole body will be
plastinated, bearing in mind any medical conditions, cause of death,
and the wishes expressed by the deceased. Other preparatory work will
include injecting the vessels with contrasting plastics, emphasizing
the muscles or internal organs, or producing large slices that will
subsequently be made transparent. In principle, the whole body can be
used for plastination, as all of the organs and parts of the body,
whether healthy or diseased, are important for medical training. The
remains that are not required, such as connective tissue, parts of the
skin, and bits of bone are incinerated in the same way as surgical
waste and amputated body parts are; this means that virtually nothing
will be left behind. If, under exceptional circumstances, large parts
of the body cannot be plastinated, there is also the option of
cremation and anonymous burial at the cemetery. Scientific postmortem
examinations that the IfP perfoms deal with the normal anatomy of the
human body. Diseases and causes of death are only investigated with
respect to their significance for medical training. As a result, when
it comes to issues such as the cause of death, the IfP cannot provide
conclusive and complete information similar to that which is determined
in the course of an autopsy.
What costs are incurred?
The
donors or their next of kind must pay for the body to be sent to the
IfP. Bodies in the United States and Canada need to be shipped to one
of the appointed embalming facilities in North America. More detailed
information on these costs is available in the brochure for each
country. The IfP does not charge a fee for receiving donated bodies or
for plastinating them; there are also no burial costs.
Where can I obtain further information?
The
IfP hosts regularly scheduled meetings for its body donors. These
informational events offer attendees the opportunity to view specimens,
learn more about new developments in plastination, and network with
each other. All donors are warmly invited to attend and will receive
advance notice in writing about upcoming events.
For additional information, please contact one of our body donor offices:
Institute for Plastination
Body Donation Department
Rathausstrasse 11
D-69126 Heidelberg
Phone: +49-6221-3311-50
Fax: +49-6221-3311-45
Email: koerperspende(at)plastination.com
North American Body Donor Office
PO Box 34001
Granada Hills, CA 91394
Phone: +1-213-291-9572
Fax: +1-213-291-9582
Email: bodydonation(at)plastination.com
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