[Italian patients who received transplants from foreign countries]

The article analyzes the procedures for patient transferal to foreign countries presently adopted in Italy, with a particular insight in organ transplantation. All the legal and sanitary regulations that, from 1970 on, have regulated this issue for the European Community (now European Community) and extracommunitary countries are reviewed. The present legislation is reported and the guidelines for transferal to foreign countries is illustrated. The role of the specialistic regional referral centers in the concession of the authorization is examined in detail. The few available official sources have been reviewed to illustrate the migratory fluxes of transplant candidates in the recent years. Finally, the procedures that could make the system more efficient and uniform on the whole territory are reported.