This has been a big week for stories about innovative approaches to organ donation. Last Sunday, the New York Times featured an amazing story about 60 people linked by a transplant chain that changed the lives of 30 patients with kidney disease. It all began with one man inspired by an acquaintance who had recently donated a kidney to a friend. – Lives Forever Linked Through Kidney Transplant Chain
A new program in Israel will give transplant priority to patients who are signed up to be organ donors. – In Israel, A New Approach to Organ Donation
Some transplant hospitals are using “less than perfect” organs to save lives. “When so many people are waiting, we need to be more creative in our use of organs,” says Dr. Darla Granger, transplant surgeon at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit. – Organs From Less-Than-Ideal Donors Save Patients’ Lives
Another New York Times story contains fascinating insight into the current state of transplantion in the United States. Experts agree a national registry would maximize the number of kidney transplants through donation chains. But will we ever have one? – Lack of Unified System Hampers Kidney Transplants