A more than 20% increase in deceased-donor organ procurement and transplantation activity after the use of donation after circulatory death.
BACKGROUND
Organ procurement and transplant activity from controlled donation after circulatory death (DCD) was evaluated over an 11-year period to determine whether this program influenced the transplant and donation after brain death (DBD) activities.


METHODS
Deceased donor (DD) procurement and transplant data were prospectively collected in a local database for retrospective review.


RESULTS
There was an increasing trend in the potential and actual DCD numbers over time. DCD accounted for 21.9% of the DD pool over 11 years, representing 23.7% and 24.2% of the DD kidney and liver pool, respectively. The DBD retrieval and transplant activity increased during the same time period. Mean conversion rate turning potential into effective DCD donors was 47.3%. Mean DCD donor age was 54.6 years (range, 3-83). Donors ≥60 years old made up 44.1% of the DCD pool. Among referred donors, reasons for nondonation were medical contraindications (33.7%) and family refusals (19%). Mean organ yield per DCD donor was 2.3 organs. Mean total procurement warm ischemia time was 19.5 minutes (range, 6-39). In 2012, 17 DCD and 37 DBD procurements were performed in the Liege region, which has slightly >1 million inhabitants.


CONCLUSIONS
This DCD program implementation enlarged the DD pool and did not compromise the development of DBD programs. The potential DCD pool might be underused and seems to be a valuable organ donor source.
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
H
H
Le Dinh
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
J
J
Monard
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
M-H
MH
Delbouille
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
M-F
MF
Hans
Department of Nephrology and Transplantation Medicine, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
L
L
Weekers
Department of Nephrology and Transplantation Medicine, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
C
C
Bonvoisin
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
J
J
Joris
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
S
S
Lauwick
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
A
A
Kaba
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
D
D
Ledoux
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
A
A
de Roover
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
P
P
Honoré
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
J-P
JP
Squifflet
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.
M
M
Meurisse
Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital of Liege, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. Electronic address: olivier.detry@transplantation.be.
O
O
Detry
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001926:Brain Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods*; D014180:Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult