title: Contribution of donors after cardiac death to the deceased donor pool: 2002 to 2009 University of Liege experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we have evaluated the organ procurement and transplantation activity from donors after cardiac death (DCD) at our institution over an 8-year period. Our aim was to determine whether this program influenced transplantation programs, or donation after brain death (DBD) activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively collected our procurement and transplantation statistics in a database for retrospective review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed an increasing trend in potential and actual DCD number. The mean conversion rate turning potential into effective donors was 58.1%. DCD accounted for 16.6% of the deceased donor (DD) pool over 8 years. The mean age for effective DCD donors was 53.9 years (range, 3-79). Among the effective donors, 63.3% (n = 31) came from the transplant center and 36.7% (n = 18) were referred from collaborative hospitals. All donors were Maastricht III category. The number of kidney and liver transplants using DCD sources tended to increase. DCD kidney transplants represented 10.8% of the DD kidney pool and DCD liver transplants made up 13.9% of the DD liver pool over 8 years. The DBD program activity increased in the same time period. In 2009, 17 DCD and 33 DBD procurements were performed in a region with a little >1 million inhabitants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The establishment of a DCD program in our institution enlarged the donor pool and did not compromise the development of the DBD program. In our experience, DCD are a valuable source for abdominal organ transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, CHU Liège, University of Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ledinh
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meurisse
authors.forename: M-H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Delbouille
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Monard
authors.forename: M-F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hans
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonvoisin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weekers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joris
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaba
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lauwick
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Damas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Damas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lambermont
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kohnen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deroover
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Honoré
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Squifflet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meurisse
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Detry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D049668:History, 15th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors; D055815:Young Adult