Organ and Tissue Donation

Forrest General supports organ and tissue donation for transplantation by participating in organ/tissue procurement. 

Procurement at Forrest General for Transplantation 

Surgical teams from transplant centers across the nation participate in organ recovery at Forrest General Hospital, where state-of-the-art services contribute to the evaluation and recovery of organs that save many people's lives. 

As an organ/tissue procurement center for South-Central Mississippi, Forrest General supports organ donation through affiliation with the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA), the University of Mississippi transplant programs and the Mississippi Lions Eye Bank (MLEB). When a patient donates organs, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is accessed by MORA staff to match donors and recipients. UNOS registers each patient who is waiting on an organ transplant in the United States in a national computerized database. Patients in need of transplants are registered in a UNOS through individual transplant programs. Organs that can be donated for transplantation include heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small bowel. 

Tissues donated at Forrest General are recovered through MORA or the Mississippi Lions Eye Bank. Tissues that may be donated for transplantation include corneas, heart valves, bone and connective tissue, vascular tissue and skin. Tissue transplants can save the lives of burn patients and heart valve recipients, as well as restore eyesight, mobility and the ability to live independently to hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S.  

What You Should Know About Organ Donation 

You can make the decision to donate life through a state registry. Mississippi's registry may be accessed online at donatelifems.org. Instructions for entering the registry are on the site. For adults who enter the registry, their family will not be required to give consent, but may be asked for a current medical history. 

• Organ donation does not affect or delay customary funeral arrangements.
• There is no cost to the family, nor is there any payment for the donation.
• Hospital expenses, incurred prior to the donation of organs, and funeral expenses remain the responsibility of the donor's family.
• Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most religions.
• Individuals under the age of 18 may sign a donor card with the consent of their parent or legal guardian.
• It is not necessary to mention organ donation in your will, but you may include your wishes in an advanced directive document..

The desire to be an organ or tissue donor may be conveyed to your next-of-kin by completing and carrying a signed donor card.