title: Is routine sternotomy necessary for organ recovery from deceased donors? A comparative retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditionally, sternotomy and laparotomy are performed to recover thoracoabdominal organs from deceased donors; however, recovering abdominal organs without sternotomy is possible. We evaluated and compared organ recovery from deceased donors, with and without sternotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between February 2006 and November 2011, organ recovery was performed in 68 deceased donors by our transplantation team. The recovery procedure was carried out using standard techniques in 31 donors (with sternotomy; Group A) and with modified techniques in 37 donors (without sternotomy; Group B). Average age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and time to cold ischemia were compared retrospectively in both groups. The demographic and clinical parameters were compared using a Student t test and chi-square test. The level of statistical significance was set at P < .05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Organ recovery was performed on 31 of 67 (45.6%) deceased donors with sternotomy (Group A) and 37 of 67 (54.4%) without sternotomy (Group B). Thirty-six donors were male and 32 were female. The average donor age was 40.4 ± 3.4 years in Group A and 52.4 ± 4.6 years in Group B (P < .02). The average BMI of donors was 26.2 ± 0.8 kg/m(2) in Group A and 23.9 ± 0.8 kg/m(2) in Group B. The average time to cold ischemia was 127 ± 6.2 minutes in Group A and 47.5 ± 1.8 minutes in Group B (P < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The transition time to cold ischemia can be shortened by harvesting organs without sternotomy in unstable donors, or under conditions in which intrathoracic organs are not recovered.
authors: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Division of Liver Transplantation, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey. mehmet.yilmaz@inonu.edu.tr
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Yilmaz
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Piskin
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Akbulut
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Ersan
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Gonultas
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Yilmaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D050377:Cold Ischemia; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D056346:Sternotomy; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult