The National Cardiovascular Homograft Bank
Frequently Asked Questions
What are heart valves, vascular tissues, and trachea homografts?
· Heart valves, an important structure in the heart, maintain the one-way flow of blood
· Vascular tissues assist blood circulation around our body
· Trachea, the ‘windpipe’, leads air into the lungs
Who will receive the donated homografts?
· Children born with abnormal or missing valves
· Patients whose heart valves that do not function properly or have stopped working due to heart diseases or wearing out of the valves
· Patients with narrowed, hardened or damaged trachea
A new tissue can make a big difference in the quality of life for these patients and relieve them of symptoms such as breathlessness, tiredness and dizzy spells. It can even save the patient from death.
Advantages of human homografts
· They do not get infected easily
· Recipient do not have to take drugs to prevent tissue rejection and/or blood clot formation, unlike non-human grafts
These are important especially for children, women of childbearing age, and for those who are very active and prone to injuries.
Will any disfigurements occur as a result of the donation?
A donor's body is treated with the utmost respect. Homograft donation does not disfigure the body and does not interfere with having a funeral, including open casket services.
Who can donate?
Anyone!
Do not assume that you are not healthy enough or too old to donate. Your heart valves may be working perfectly even if you have conditions such as high blood pressure or heart disease.
Like many transplantable tissues, heart valves, trachea, and vascular tissues can be donated up to 24 hours after death. Stringent donor evaluation such as microbiological and infectious diseases screening will be performed before the tissues are released for recipients’ use.
Your selfless donation can help someone in need!
How do I express my wishes to become a donor of heart valves, vascular tissues and/or trachea?
Anyone above the age of 18 years can make this life saving decision by completing an Organ Donation Pledge Form and submitting it to the National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU). This form can be obtained from the NOTU office or downloaded from the Live On website at www.liveon.sg.
Most importantly, speak to your loved ones about heart valves, vascular tissues, and/or trachea donation. Share your wishes with your family, so that at the time of donation, your family will know that they are acting according to the wishes of their loved one.
Contact Information
For more information about this programme, please contact:
National Cardiovascular Homograft Bank
c/o National Heart Centre Singapore
Tel: 6436-7576
Fax: 6221-0019
Email: homograftdonation@nhc.com.sg
National Organ Transplant Unit
c/o Singapore General Hospital
Singapore 169608
Tel: 6321-4390