[Multiple-organ procurement for transplantation]

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Surgery
• Organ Procurement
• Medical Coordination

Context:

• Increasing demand for clinical transplantations necessitates innovative graft sourcing strategies.
• Multiple organ retrieval (MOR) from a single donor offers a potential solution to graft shortages.
• This study evaluates MOR outcomes from a university hospital serving 1.35 million inhabitants.

Purpose:

• To present the results of multiple organ retrieval (MOR) procedures.
• To assess the feasibility and success of harvesting multiple organs (heart, liver, kidney) from single donors.
• To emphasize the importance of coordination and planning in MOR.

Summary:

• A 3-year study involving 28 MOR procedures yielded 94 harvested organs, with 88 transplanted across Europe.
• Successful transplantation rates were high: 47/49 kidneys, 19/23 hearts, and 9/16 livers remain functional.
• Prioritizing heart retrieval and in situ cooling for liver and kidneys ensured organ quality.

Impact:

• Recommends considering all brain-dead patients as potential multiple organ donors, not solely kidney donors.
• Highlights the critical role of local coordinators in recipient identification and logistical organization.
• Underscores the complexity of MOR, requiring meticulous planning and synchronized surgical execution for optimal outcomes.