Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the national transplant waiting list. We often hear about the organ waiting list and the thousands of people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, but not everybody is familiar with how the listing process works. In this edition of Discuss Donation, we break down how the organ waiting list works.
Read the full article from Donate Life Colorado.
CareDx hosted the “Ask the Experts: Mental Health Matters” webinar in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation serving Northern California and the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday, May 18. More than 600 members of the transplant community, comprised of transplant recipients, caregivers, and clinicians, joined the live virtual discussion to learn more about the role mental health plays in the pre- and post-transplant journey.
Below is a summary of the questions posed during the session, as well as answers from both the patients’ and clinicians’ perspectives. Read the full article on CareDx.com.
The number of U.S. residents on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant totaled 105,960 men, women and children as of late May, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the nonprofit group that manages the nation’s transplant system under contract with the federal government. On average, 17 people die each day while waiting for an organ transplant.
In 2021, 41,354 transplants were done, with organs from 20,401 donors, including both deceased and living donors. Kidneys are the most frequently transplanted organ, followed by the liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and intestines. Kidneys accounted for more than half of transplants performed last year (24,670) and represent the organ needed by more than 80 percent of those on the waiting list. Read the complete story in The Washington Post.
For the majority of patients, transplantation is the best option. Kidney transplant is not a cure for kidney disease, but it can help you live longer and with a better quality of life. Kidney transplants come from either living organ donors, or deceased organ donors. A live donor kidney transplant is considered the best option for people with kidney disease. Transplant is not an option for everyone. Speak with your healthcare team to decide if transplant is an option for you. Read more from the National Kidney Foundation.
Policies that increase access to waiting lists for kidney transplant are likely to substantially increase administrative and medical costs without providing any benefit, said authors of a new study.
An examination of cost reports from all certified U.S. transplant hospitals from 2012 to 2017 indicated that Medicare reimbursements for transplant evaluation and waiting list management increased from $0.95 billion to $1.32 billion, according to researchers led by Xingxing Cheng, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine in California. Read more.
Having an organ transplant can be lifesaving, and quality of life building. For most individuals in need of transplant, their journey begins with getting on the waitlist. It’s a process that may seem daunting, but knowing what to expect may alleviate some of the anxiety associated with this step. Read more.
The process of getting listed for a kidney transplant often begins when your doctor refers you for the transplant surgery. But, you do not have to be referred by a doctor. You are free to visit a transplant center to be evaluated if you are interested in transplant.
You can only be ready for a kidney transplant after you have passed the required evaluation at a transplant center that looks at your physical health, mental health, and finances. If you pass this evaluation and the transplant team decides you are ready for transplant, you will be added to the national waiting list. Read the complete article here.
Last week, a hospital in Boston removed a patient from its heart transplant waiting list over his refusal to receive a COVID vaccine. Although many hospitals had been enforcing such policies throughout the pandemic, the news took off internationally.
But the spotlight on vaccination status ignores the complexities of organ transplantation outside the pandemic. “There are a ton of requirements for transplant eligibility,” says Dorry Segev, a transplant surgeon at New York University. The ethics of transplant decision-making are different from those of other kinds of medical care, in large part because there are fewer organs than there are people in need. According to the American Transplant Foundation, more than 100,000 Americans are currently on transplant waitlists.
Read more here.