Established in 1989, the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria (DTBV) was the first multi-tissue bank in Australasia. It screens, processes, stores, tests and distributes multiple types of tissue from the one facility. It is a public sector not-for-profit organisation.
Its core function is to provide Australian surgeons with safe and effective tissue grafts for transplantation in many areas of orthopaedic, cardiothoracic, reconstructive surgery and burn care, benefitting many patients every year.
DTBV also facilitates access to corneas for the Lions Eye Donation Service and the services extend to assisting researchers who require access to human tissue for the completion of ethically approved research projects that allows us to contribute to both directly advancing health and social care and also to facilitate the post graduate teaching of medical specialists.
The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria offers relatives and loved ones the opportunity to salvage something positive from the tragedy of the loss of someone they loved.
The centre also provides a living donor program where people undergoing routine hip replacement can donate for transplant, the otherwise discarded bone removed during the surgery.
The Tissue Bank’s operations are overseen by an ethics committee and the Donor Tissue Bank Committee with an emphasis on quality and safety.
The DTBV operates within the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and also provides forensic microbiology services to support the coronial process.
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