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Organ Transplants Reach New High of Almost 27,000 in
2004
 March
30, 2005 Organ transplants hit a new high in 2004, with 26,984
Americans receiving new organs, according to Health and Human Services,
that promotes the effort through the "Organ Donation Breakthrough
Collaborative" and a Website the agency sponsors.
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Download, print donor card
Say "Yes" to donation on driver's license
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www.organdonor.gov |
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The increase in organ donations come in the wake
of concentrated efforts led by HHS to boost consent rates for organ
donation, which began in 2001, said the HHS announcement.
"I am heartened that the promise of organ donation
continues to save more and more lives every year," HHS Secretary Mike
Leavitt said. "For each life saved, hope, for others in need, grows; we
must continue to grow and share that hope across the nation."
Deceased donors can give multiple organs that will
improve or save the lives of several people. In 2004, there were more
than 20,000 transplant operations utilizing organs from more than 7,000
deceased donors, an increase of close to 11 percent over the 2003 total.
That increase was the largest in the last 10 years and the second
highest annual increase since national records began to be collected in
1987. Organ transplants from deceased donors rose by 1,368 (18,650 to
20,018) from 2003 to 2004, a 7.3 percent increase.
In addition, transplant operations using an organ
donated by a living person also hit a new high -- 6,966 -- in 2004. That
number grew by 154 (6,812 to 6,966) from 2003 to 2004, a 2.3 percent
increase. Organ donations from living persons are limited to a single
organ, usually the kidney, or piece of a single organ. Human beings have
two kidneys but can lead healthy lives with only one.
Citing the growing need for organ donation to save
and improve lives, Tommy G. Thompson, within his first 100 days as HHS
Secretary, announced his commitment to develop a new national effort to
encourage organ donation. That commitment, also known as the Gift of
Life Donation Initiative, led to 2004's record transplant totals through
which the number of transplant candidates who died waiting for an organ
fell below 6,000 for the first time in six years.
In 2003, HHS' Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) launched the "Organ Donation Breakthrough
Collaborative," to bring together donation professionals and hospital
leaders to identify and share best practices to maximize donation rates
from potential organ donors who die in their facilities. While donation
from deceased donors rose both in hospitals participating in the
collaborative and in those not taking part, the increase was higher for
those in the collaborative (16 percent compared to 2003) than for
non-participating hospitals (9.4 percent).
According to preliminary data from the Organ
Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), the two most common
transplant procedures in 2004 increased substantially over 2003 totals:
kidney transplants rose more than 5 percent and liver transplants
increased nearly 9 percent. The number of heart transplants decreased
slightly in 2004; demand for heart transplants has slowed due to
advances in other medical and surgical procedures to treat heart
disease. OPTN maintains data on donors, transplants and the national
patient waiting list under contract from HRSA.
More information about the official U.S. Government
Web site for organ and tissue donation and transplantation, please visit
www.organdonor.gov.
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