HWN Suggests

As the need for organ transplants grows, the number of transplant physicians dwindles

During the 25 years I’ve been a transplant doctor, I’ve cared for hundreds of patients who received lung transplants. I’m now worried about the growing number of people who will need this lifesaving procedure in the future but who won’t have enough transplant physicians to do it.

At any given time in the U.S., about 120,000 people are waiting for the call that they’ve been matched with a donor for a new lung, heart, liver, or kidney. That number will continue to rise, but the number of doctors to take the 2 a.m. call that a donor has been found for their patient and perform the transplant is dwindling.

About eight years ago, while directing the lung transplant program…

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Articles of Interest

Organ Donation Compensation: A Simple Solution or Inevitable Inequity?

No doubt allowing people to sell their organs would increase the supply for those awaiting transplants. But would the societal benefits of such a move be offset by a further widening of the gap between the rich and poor?

Day in the Life Series

What’s it like to be a transplant surgeon? Everyday, there are millions of people waiting for an organ transplant that could potentially not only save their life but have an enormous impact on their quality of life thereafter.

How Surgeons Stay Focused for Hours

Organ-transplant surgeons have skills most of us can only dream about. One, concentrating for hours straight, is something we can aspire to.

Resources

Collaborative Transplant Study

This website provides you with information about CTS and its participants and gives you access to transplantation related resources and literature: CTS data graphs, newsletters, and information on CTS publications and CTS reagents.

DTI Foundation

Our commitment is to raise organ donation of the world in order to improve society's quality of life through professional training education

International Registry of Organ Donation and Transplantation

At IRODaT we want to make open data more accessible, open and free, and not subject to copyright restrictions. We therefore aim to facilitate the work of governments, journalists, scientific research, publications, organisations and the general public.

TransWeb

TransWeb is a nonprofit educational web site serving the world transplant community since 1994. TransWeb features real people's experiences, the top 10 myths about donation, a donation quiz, frequently asked questions with answers, as well as educational reference and videos of U.S. and World Transplant Games. For adults and teens, TransWeb features Give Life: The Transplant Journey a multimedia trip through the donation and transplantation process.

UNOS

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the private, non-profit organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government.

American Society for Artificial Internal Organs

A Premier Society for physicians, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs dedicated to the continually evolving field of artificial organs. Formed in 1955 to promote the increase of knowledge about artificial internal organs and of their utilization, it was the forum for first presentations about devices replacing the function of kidneys, hearts, lungs, pancreas and other organs.

American Society of Transplant Surgeons

Today the American Society of Transplant Surgeons' membership includes over 1100 transplant surgeons, physicians, scientists and allied health professionals from all around the globe.

American Society of Transplantation

Dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation through the promotion of research, education, advocacy, and organ donation to improve patient care.

American Transplant Congress

The ATC is the premier educational event in the field of basic and clinical transplantation.