Multiorgan donation in The Netherlands: limited by consent and policy

The percentage of multiorgan donors (MOD) versus single organ donors of kidneys only (SOD-K) has remained markedly low in the Netherlands compared to the other countries in the Eurotransplant region. This suggests a possible loss of donor organs. We investigated the causes of this persisting low percentage of MOD by studying the reasons for kidney donation only. All kidney donors in the Eurotransplant region in 1992 were studied retrospectively. In order to be able to make a comparison between all countries investigated, non heart-beating donors and donors older than 55 years were excluded. Medical reasons were the most frequent cause for kidney donation only in the Netherlands, but this was not significantly different from the other countries in the Eurotransplant region. Multiorgan donation in the Netherlands was restricted by upper age limits for heart and liver transplantation and by the consent system.