Organ donation and recovery in Mississippi: update 1996

Over the last 10 years, solid organ transplantation has become increasingly successful and, in 1996, is the recognized standard of care for many end-stage organ diseases. Unfortunately, as this therapy has become more desirable, the demand for transplants has far outpaced the available supply of transplantable organs. Advances in organ preservation, surgical recovery techniques, centralized placement services and communication systems, as well as increased public awareness of the need have helped to increase organ availability. In addition, many transplant programs are now willing to make use of organs from "marginal" or "expanded" donors, particularly in urgent settings for liver and heart transplant recipients. The primary source of organs for Mississippi patients awaiting transplants is Mississippi donors. The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency, an independent, non-profit agency, is the federally designated recovery organization for the state of Mississippi. This agency and the wait-listed recipients of the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Transplant Programs are critically dependent on appropriate recognition and referral of potential donors by the health professionals of Mississippi. Historically, Mississippi has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the United States. This will only change if physicians make every effort to offer their patients the option of organ and tissue donation, and if the organ and tissue recovery programs are successful in ongoing educational projects for health professionals and the general public.