What are the barriers to wider use of organ perfusion?
Another record year for heart transplants: Steep increases seen in DCD transplants in 2022
in focus
A 68% increase in DCD heart transplants was part of a record-setting 2022
UNOS CEO Brian Shepard to leave organization after a decade of service
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) today announced that CEO Brian Shepard will depart the organization at the end of September, following the completion of his contract. Shepard’s 10-year tenure as UNOS CEO was marked by groundbreaking progress in the U.S. organ donation and transplantation system.
Maureen McBride, Ph.D., UNOS’ chief operating officer, will assume the
Ex Situ Perfusion of Hearts Donated After Euthanasia: A Promising Contribution to Heart Transplantation
Transplant Direct. 2021 Feb 22;7(3):e676. doi: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001120. eCollection 2021 Mar.
ABSTRACT
Organ donation after euthanasia is performed in an increasing number of countries. In this donation after circulatory death procedure, it has not been possible to donate the heart. Recent literature, however, reports positive results of heart donation after circulatory death. Therefore, patients who donate
Commentary: Planes, trains, and automobiles-Effective use of prolonged ex vivo heart preservation
J Card Surg. 2021 Jul;36(7):2596-2597. doi: 10.1111/jocs.15520. Epub 2021 Mar 30.
ABSTRACT
Throughout the world, a shortage of donor organs has prompted development of unique strategies to expand the donor pool. Here, we review a report by Medressova and colleagues to the Journal of Cardiac Surgery detailing the 3-year follow-up of a patient who successfully
Public comment open from Jan. 21 through Mar. 23 2021
The winter 2021 public comment cycle opens Jan. 21 and will close March 23. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is offering six proposals, two requests for feedback, and one white paper for public comment.
Comments and replies will be published here on the OPTN website to promote transparency and trust in the national transplant system.
Saving lives together: Happy Holidays from the UNOS Organ Center
This holiday season, organ placement specialists are working around the clock in the UNOS Organ Center to help place lifesaving organs across the country. Here’s their holiday message for everyone touched by transplant. We wish you all a healthy and peaceful New Year!
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OPTN Board approves pediatric transplant program components, strategic planning, operational actions
Pediatric transplant program components
The Board of Directors of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, at a virtual meeting held Dec. 7, approved pediatric components for 268 heart, kidney, liver, lung and pancreas transplant programs. Effective Dec. 8, any candidate younger than age 18 must be listed at one of these programs
Implementation notice: Waitlist℠ programming updates to local acceptance criteria for heart, lung, heart-lung, liver and intestine
Implementation date:
- Dec. 3: Heart, lung, heart-lung, liver and intestine
At-a-glance
For heart, lung, heart-lung, liver and intestine programs, local donor acceptance criteria in Waitlist℠ have been updated in order to provide additional efficiency in organ allocation. Transplant programs should evaluate their current settings.
Summary of changes
With the transition away from donation service area (DSA) as a
Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Organ Procurement Organizations Conditions for Coverage: Revisions to the Outcome Measure Requirements for Organ Procurement Organizations
This final rule revises the Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) to increase donation rates and organ transplantation rates by replacing the current outcome measures with new transparent, reliable, and objective outcome measures and increasing competition for open donation service areas (DSAs).