Organ Recovery
Once all organs are placed, the transplant coordinator arranges for an operating room and coordinates the arrival of the transplant surgery teams. The donor's organs are removed in a surgical procedure that is extremely respectful of the nature of the gift that has been given. Most organs are taken directly to the recipients by the surgical recovery team.

Tissue Recovery
After organ donation is completed, tissue recovery is performed in a surgical procedure. The tissue is processed and stored at a tissue bank until a hospital requests the tissue for a tissue transplant.

Funeral Arrangements
Following the recovery process, a funeral can be held, generally without delay. There can be an open casket funeral, viewing or other standard memorial.

Follow Up
In a few weeks, the donation agency will send a letter to the donor family thanking them for the gift, and giving some basic information about the recipients, excluding names. Every donor family becomes part of a formal bereavement program, which provides regular correspondence and grief literature for months following the donation decision. The Donor Family Services team at the donation agency offers grief resources, counseling referrals, and opportunities for donor family and transplant recipient communications. Annual ceremonies are held to honor donors, and workshops and seminars are offered. Donation agencies have the utmost respect for the compassionate decisions of donor families, and they will make every effort to help donor families through their grief journey.