Homografts perform as native tissue and have less morbidity than prosthetics over the long term. Vein and arterial grafts are used in limb-salvage procedures as well as coronary artery bypass graft procedures when the patient is unable to provide autologous vessels. Cardiovascular tissues can be preserved for storage up to five years. Vein grafts must be ABO matched. And lest anyone think these procedures are a superfluous indulgence for senior citizens, more than 66 percent of heart valves procured are used in children.
Skin is very essential for treating patients with severe burns.
Allograft skin provides a temporary dressing, offering some protection from overwhelming infection while the patient recovers from the burn. Skin, which can be stored if refrigerated, must be used within five to seven days of recovery or cryopreserved for long-term storage. Potential donors of these tissues include all individuals 70 and younger. Those excluded from donation include patients with HIV, hepatitis B or C, or any unresolved septicemia. Lymphoma, leukemia and shunted patients with glial brain tumors are excluded from eye or cornea donations.