title: Low incidence of coronary angiography in the evaluation process of the potential heart donor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the practice of coronary angiography (CA) on donor hearts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2010, all reported organ donors aged <66 years were analyzed retrospectively. Donor charts were evaluated regarding a performed CA, its outcome, the timing of CA during the evaluation process, and reasons for organ refusal. The percentage of positive CA studies in organ donors aged ≥45 years was also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 292 reported organ donors, 152 organ donor hearts were declined (group 1), and 140 hearts (group 2) were transplanted. Of the 152 declined hearts, 91 hearts were found not suitable for organ offer, and 61 were not successfully allocated or were refused by Eurotransplant. CA was conducted in 17 organ donors (5.8%). In 6 donors, a previous CA was reported (all had pathologic findings), and in 11 donors, a donor CA was performed, indicating 4 pathologic and 7 negative findings (54.5% of the hearts evaluated by donor CA were transplanted). No complication or delay of the donation process was reportedly related to donor CA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Special emphasis and implementation of recommendations for CA to be part of the evaluation of donor organs seem necessary.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Zurich, Division for Congenital Cardiovascular Surgery, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. Electronic address: martinschweig88@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schweiger
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klüber
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Zurich, Division for Congenital Cardiovascular Surgery, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Levinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prenner
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stiegler
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sereinigg
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Department of Transplantation Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Tscheliessnigg
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iberer
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wasler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors