Network for Tissue Donation, Tissue Processing and Transplantation

Our network of tissue medicine works towards the promotion of tissue donation and transplantation in Germany. Since it was founded in 2007 with the Hanover Medical School (MHH), the University Hospital of Leipzig, and the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, the DGFG has been the largest network of tissue medicine in Germany. Further shareholders were the University Medicine Rostock in 2015 and the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Clinic Neubrandenburg in 2017.

Our network creates the conditions for successful tissue donation and tissue transplantation in Germany. Employees from donor clinics and tissue banks as well as transplantation physicians work closely together. The DGFG maintains two own tissue banks, the Heart Valve Bank Kiel and the Tissue Bank Hannover. The latter, with its GMP facility, is one of the most modern facilities of its kind in Germany. Together with Helios Kliniken Schwerin, we operate the cornea and tissue bank Schwerin. In addition, we cooperate with other tissue banks on a contractual basis.

  • More than 100 donor hospitals
  • 13 Tissue banks
  • More than 120 corneal transplant centers
  • 35 transplant programs for heart valves and blood vessels
  • 40 transplant facilities for amniotic membrane transplants

The DGFG is based in Hanover. Employees currently work as tissue donation coordinators at 30 locations throughout Germany. Many sites are located directly at university clinics, municipal or confessional hospitals as well as in clinics of large hospital associations such as Helios, Asklepios and Sana. From there, the coordinators organise tissue donation in the region in consultation with the doctors in the clinics and the DGFG’s regional medical directors.

Unlike organs, tissues are not transferred immediately. Specialised tissue banks process the donated tissues into tissue transplants – within the framework of so-called processing. Tissue preparations are subject to the Medicinal Products Act. Strict legal regulations therefore apply to tissue banks.

The DGFG uses a nationwide inventory database to mediate transplants to patients throughout Germany. Every physician can register its patient for a transplant with the DGFG.

The cooperation in the network is voluntary and individual. We cooperate with our partners in tissue donation, tissue processing in tissue banks and in the procurement of tissue for transplantation.

As the largest tissue medicine network in Germany, we are the link between donor hospitals, tissue banks and transplant centres. This network structure, which is unique in Germany, makes it possible that almost every second cornea transplanted in Germany comes from the non-profit DGFG. Everyone involved benefits from the cooperation within the network – including the patients. Our non-profit network is always open for further partners from tissue donation and transplantation. We would be pleased if you contact us.