Organ and tissue donation

Organ donation is a life-saving and life-transforming medical process. Organ and tissue donation involves removing organs and tissues from someone who has died (a donor) and transplanting them into someone who, in many cases, is very ill or dying (a recipient).

Almost everyone can help others through organ and tissue donation.

Organ donation

Less than 1% of all people who die in hospital can be considered for organ donation because they must die in specific circumstances. These circumstances include where and how a donor dies and the condition of their organs and tissues. While your age and medical history will be considered, you shouldn’t assume you’re too young, too old or not healthy enough to become a donor.

Because the opportunity to become an organ donor is rare, it is important that we all make a decision about what we want and that we discuss it with our family.

Organs that can be donated include the:

  • heart
  • lungs
  • liver
  • kidneys
  • intestine
  • pancreas.

To find out more about donation, including who can donate, myths and facts, please visit the DonateLife website.  To join the Australian Organ Donor Register, please visit the AODR page.

Tissue donation

A far greater number of people have the opportunity to donate tissues for transplantation. For transplantation to be successful, tissue donation doesn’t require the donor’s death to have occurred under the same limited circumstances as organ donation. Unlike organs, tissues can be stored for varying periods of time.

Almost anyone can donate eyes regardless of age, sex, race or previous physical condition. Wearing glasses or having poor vision does not prevent eye donation. The cornea can be transplanted to restore or improve sight and occasionally other parts of the eye can be used for reconstructive surgery. 

Tissues that can be translated include:

  • heart valves and other heart tissue
  • bone
  • tendons
  • ligaments
  • skin
  • parts of the eye such as the cornea and sclera.


The Eye Bank of South Australia is located within Flinders Medical Centre. For more information on the Eye Bank, please refer to the Flinders Medical Centre website.  For more information on the donation process for eye tissue, please refer to the Eye Bank Association of Australia and New Zealand website.

Donation of bodies to science

Donating your body to science is one of the greatest gifts one can give to make a lasting contribution to the education and training of our current and future health professionals and to advance science through research.

The University of Adelaide operates a central mortuary facility on behalf of the Universities in South Australia for the acceptance of all bodies donated to science.

For more information on the Body Donation Program please visit the University of Adelaide School of Medicine website.