CBS NEWS – In the U.S., thousands of donated organs never reach the patients who need them.
CBS News found that last year, one in three kidneys recovered from deceased donors were never transplanted.
Specialized organ recovery teams made more than 26 million attempts to place these kidneys with transplant centers, offering them again and again in search of a suitable match–before they were ultimately discarded as medical waste.
And it’s not just kidneys. Nearly 12,000 potentially life-saving organs were discarded last year in the United States.
“I didn’t know he was a donor,” said Cheryl Potter. “I’m super proud of him.”
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Why are organs discarded?
A CBS News analysis of federal procurement and transplant data found kidneys are discarded the most. Nearly one-third of kidneys recovered never make it to a patient.
“The number should be more like 1 in 20,” said Dr. Richard Formica, president of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network that oversees the U.S. transplant system. “I consider this to be an existential threat to the whole transplant system.”
To understand why so many organs are discarded, it’s important to understand how the system works.
Organs go unused for many reasons, including logistical challenges, organ quality, rising donation rates and performance measures.
The process involves two players: organ procurement organizations (OPOs) and transplant centers. The procurement organizations identify donors, recover organs, offer them to patients on the waiting list, and arrange transportation. Transplant centers evaluate patients, accept suitable organs, and perform transplant surgeries.
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Both are rated by the federal government to try to improve patient outcomes.
Procurement organizations are incentivized to recover as many viable organs as possible and try to match them with recipients.
Transplant centers may be more selective, choosing patients and organs that create the best chance of long-term success …