The reporting of potential donors has always been important, but the identification and reporting of all potential organ donors is now even more important for the life expectancy of patients awaiting organ transplants.
According to international scientific literature data, a deceased organ donor gives an average of 30.8 life years to the society, so the 111 organ donors who died last year donated 3418 new life years to the transplant recipients through organ donation.
On average 3.67 donor were reported from one donor hospital. The most active institution called the OCO with 15 reports about potential donors, and the most organ donation which have been performed in one hospital was 10. The most active physician reported 8 potential organ donors in 2020.
During last year, in cooperation with Eurotransplant, 86 donor organs were transplanted in Hungary originated from foreign country (64 kidneys, 1 pancreas, 8 livers, 12 hearts, 1 pair of lungs). During the year, 461 new Hungarian patients were registered on the Eurotransplant organ transplant waiting lists.
In 2020, a total of 320 organ transplants were performed in all the seven domestic organ transplant centers.
202 kidney transplants were performed (172 from deceased and 30 from living donor) at all the four Hungarian kidney transplant centers. Most kidney transplants were performed at the Semmelweis University, Department of Transplantation and Surgery with 92 cases from a deceased donor and a further 24 from living donor. 28 deceased donor and 6 living donor kidney transplants were performed at the University of Pécs, Department of Surgery, 27 at the University of Debrecen, Institute of Surgery of the Clinical Center and 25 at the University of Szeged, Department of Surgery.
Liver transplants were performed in 50 cases at the Semmelweis University, Department of Transplantation and Surgery.
45 heart transplants were performed in the two Hungarian heart transplant centers, of which 39 surgeries were performed at the Semmelweis University, Heart and Vascular Center and 6 transplants at the Gottsegen National Cardiovascular Center.
17 lung transplants were performed at the Semmelweis University, Department of Thoracic Surgery.
There were 6 cases of combined kidney and pancreas transplantation at Semmelweis University, Department of Transplantation and Surgery.
A total of 1893 patients have been on organ transplant waiting list and 461 new patients were registered on the waiting list during 2020, finally 1361 patients were waiting for a life-saving organ transplant at the end of the year. The waiting times for transplant patients is the shortest for liver, heart and lung transplantation, which are 7 months in average. The waiting time is 3 years and 4 months for combined kidney and pancreas transplantation and nearly 3 and a half years for kidney transplantation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular contact with health professionals is essential to maintain organ donation activity and to ensure the quality and safety of organ donation and transplantation for the patients in need of care. Several online scientific forums were organized where professionals from the transplant- and from the intensive care units could exchange their experiences, thus helping to perform as many organ donations and transplants as possible.
Organ donation programs from the deceased were available last year throughout the country with newer quality and safety measures.
All the domestic transplant program has worked continuously in compliance with the epidemiological rules.
International organ exchange was also maintained within the framework of EUROTRANSPLANT cooperation.
Further information: www.ovsz.hu/szervdonacio
Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service (HNBTS), Transplantation Directorate
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2021. 01. 24.
