Effects of Modification of the Allocation System on Ischemia Duration and Costs of Heart Transplantation

T. Petzold; P. R. Feindt; G. Kalweit; M. C. Deng; C. Schmid; M. Fritz; C. Preusse; B. Schönfelder; F. Kuhn-Regnier; F. Schöndube; E. Gams; null for the Transplantation Cooperation UNI-NRW

doi:10.1055/s-2007-1013131

The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon, Table of Contents

Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999; 47(3): 153-156
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1013131

Original Cardiovascular

Effects of Modification of the Allocation System on Ischemia Duration and Costs of Heart Transplantation

T. Petzold¹ , P. R. Feindt¹ , G. Kalweit¹ , M. C. Deng² , C. Schmid² , M. Fritz³ , C. Preusse⁴ , B. Schönfelder⁵ , F. Kuhn-Regnier⁶ , F. Schöndube⁷ , E. Gams¹ , for the Transplantation Cooperation UNI-NRW

¹Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf
²Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Westfälische University Münster,
³Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ruhr-University Bochum, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Kliniken “Bergmannsheil”,
⁴Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn,
⁵Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Essen,
⁶Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Cologne,
⁷Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen, Germany

Abstract

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Abstract

Background: In order to optimize regional utilization of transplantable thoracic organs, the seven university hospitals in North-Rhine-Westfalia have formed a transplant cooperation meanwhile approved by Eurotransplant. Methods: Heart transplant and organ donation activities of the cooperating hospitals in the year before the foundation of the cooperation (period A, 7/95 - 6/96) and in the year thereafter (period B, 7/96 - 6/97) were retrospectively analysed. Results: In period A, a total of 39 heart transplants and 74 heart donations were performed, whereas in period B 67 heart transplantations and 78 heart donations could be achieved. The regional utilization of the donor organs increased from 4% to 30% with a significantly shorter ischemia time of regionally or locally allocated donor hearts than of nationally or internationally allocated ones. Conclusions: A high rate of regional or local heart transplant procedures with short ischemia times clearly demonstrate the benefits of a regionalization of heart transplant medicine for medical as well as economical reasons.

Key words

Transplant organ allocation - Regional cooperation - Ischemia duration - Transport costs

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