title: Coordinating organ transplantation in Turkey: effects of the National Coordination Center.
abstract: In January 2001, the National Coordination Center, which brought tissue and organ procurement and transplantation under the Turkish Health Ministry, was established in Turkey. The main aims of this organization are to expand cadaveric donation and increase the number of transplantable organs supplied by cadaveric donors. We compared the proportions of cadaveric organ transplantations that were performed in Turkey before and after the national coordination system was established. Of all the cadaveric transplantations completed to date, 91.6% of kidney and 71.5% of liver procedures were done before implementation of the new system, and 8.4% and 28.5%, respectively, were performed after the system was established. The data show that the frequency of cadaveric donation has increased, as well as the number of cadaveric organ transplantations performed annually. The new national transplantation coordination system is making a good start at increasing cadaveric transplantation in Turkey. This system will hopefully lead to a larger organ pool and shorter waiting lists in future.
authors.affiliation: Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tokalak
authors.forename: Hamdi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karakayali
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moray
authors.forename: Nevzat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bilgin
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haberal
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D005544:Forecasting; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000639:trends; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000639:trends; D019520:Living Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D024382:Professional Role; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D014421:Turkey; D014850:Waiting Lists