The body is transported to a sterile operating room and is
prepared in a sterile manner just like a person having a major
operation. On the way to the operating room from the intensive
care unit, the donor's body remains hooked up to a blood
pressure and EKG monitor. A portable ventilator may be used,
hooked up to an oxygen tank that can be wheeled down to the
operating room with the donor. All of the donor's IV's are
continued, providing fluids and medications to maintain the organs
until surgeons remove the organs that were donated.

Once the donor is in the operating room, the body is moved to the operating table. The body is prepared with a sterilizing scrub,
sterile drapes are placed around the chest and abdomen, and the
operation begins. There is an anesthesiologist present to monitor
the blood pressure. and fluids, although no anesthetic needs to be
given since the person is already dead (and thus cannot feel pain).
Up to five surgical teams may be present, sometimes operating
simultaneously, along with scrub nurses, circulating nurses, and
organ donation technicians who are responsible for getting the
ice-cold preservation solutions ready to instill into the donor to
cool and protect the donated organs when they are removed.
The surgeons carefully inspect the donated organs, again making
sure that they look acceptable for transplantation. Once the
organs are removed, the ventilator is turned off and the incisions
are closed. At this point, the body is sent to the hospital morgue
and is released to the funeral home.

As the organs are removed from the donor's body, they are
immediately placed in ice-cold preservation solution and then
packaged in sterile containers for the trip to the recipient's
hospital. Each organ is accompanied by extensive paperwork
documenting the details of the donor's history and medical
tests and the findings at the time of the donation surgery.