title: Evolution of Organ Transplantation in Poland 1966 to 2014: Dates and Numbers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several events inspired us to collect data on organ transplantation in Poland (2016: the 50th anniversary of the first transplantation and the 20th anniversary of Polish Transplant Coordinating Center Poltransplant). The paper aims at presenting comprehensive data on all organ transplants, beginning with the first in 1966 (deceased kidney) until the end of 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Source documents were reports published in Poltransplant Bulletin, a website registry managed by Poltransplant, reports by the Transplantation Council and by the Transplantation Institute of Warsaw. A source data enabled us to establish a preliminary report, presented for verification during the 12th Congress of the Polish Transplantation Society.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By the end of 2014, the total number of organ transplants was 26,691. Kidney transplantation is the most common (total number = 19,812). The number of living kidney transplants is low, about 50 per year. The number of liver part transplants from living donors is relatively high, 20 to 30 annually. The program of deceased liver transplantation results in more than 300 transplants yearly. The first heart transplantation was in 1985, but the number of these procedures has been decreasing. No significant increase in the number of lung transplantations was noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of organ transplantations from deceased donors places Poland in the middle among European countries. The number of living donor kidney transplants is lower than in other countries; therefore a living donor liver transplantation program belongs to leading programs. Progress of lung transplantation has been slow. The development is highlighted by vascularized composite tissue transplantations of the hands and face. The strength of the report lies in its reliability and completeness. Numbers are the unique source of information to be used and referred to in the literature.
authors: Polish Transplant Coordinating Centre Poltransplant, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Surgical and Transplant Nursing, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: jczerwinski@poltransplant.pl.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Czerwiński
authors: Department of Transplantology General Surgery and Urology Provincial Hospital, Poznan, Poland.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Czapiewski
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery and Organ Transplantation, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Danielewska
authors: Polish Transplant Coordinating Centre Poltransplant, Warsaw, Poland; Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology Department, John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland; Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, Krakow, Poland.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Milaniak
authors: Department of General and Endocrine Surgery and Transplantation, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Milecka
authors: Medical University of Wrocław, Faculty of Health Science, Department of Clinical Basis of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Patrzałek
authors: Department of General, Vascular, and Transplant Surgery, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sekta
authors: Department of Cardiac Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Medical University of Silesia, Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases, Zabrze, Poland.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Saucha
authors: Polish Transplant Coordinating Centre Poltransplant, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Danek
authors: Department of General, Transplantation and Liver Surgery Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Zając
authors: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Ostrowski
authors: Polish Transplant Coordinating Centre Poltransplant, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Malanowski
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D019520:Living Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D011044:Poland; D012042:Registries; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends