title: Effects of modification of the allocation system on ischemia duration and costs of heart transplantation. Transplantation Cooperation UNI-NRW.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Petzold
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Feindt
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kalweit
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Preusse
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schönfelder
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kuhn-Regnier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schöndube
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gams
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005858:Germany; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000191:economics*; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000191:economics*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000191:economics*