Deceased heart beating donor and organ transplantation in Saudi Arabia

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Year : 2015 | Volume : 26 | Issue : 2 | Page : 404-409

Deceased heart beating donor and organ transplantation in Saudi Arabia

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Date of Web Publication

3-Mar-2015

How to cite this article:
. Deceased heart beating donor and organ transplantation in Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl 2015;26:404-9

How to cite this URL:
. Deceased heart beating donor and organ transplantation in Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl [serial online] 2015 [cited 2022 Aug 14];26:404-9. Available from: https://www.sjkdt.org/text.asp?2015/26/2/404/152563

There were 570 deceased heart beating cases (possible donors) reported to Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation in the year 2014 from 102 hospitals with intensive care units. Of this total, 350 cases (61.4%) were fully documented to have irreversible neurologic determination of death (potential donors) according to our National Protocol. Families were approached in 79.7% of the potential donors (279 cases), and consent for organ donation was obtained in 110 cases (39.4% of all diagnosed and approached cases where the families could be contacted and the issue of donation was discussed). On the other hand, family refusal to donate organs constituted 60% of the family approached cases. Out of the consented 110 cases, organs of 101 cases (91.8%) were successfully harvested (actual) during this year.

Regarding organ transplant activities, there were 131 kidneys transplanted this year from deceased donors (distributed between nine government transplant centers). 70 deceased liver transplantations were also done (at King Abdulaziz Medical City (NGH) - Riyadh, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center - Riyadh, and King Fahd Specialist Hospital - Dammam). Beside that, 31 whole hearts were transplanted in addition to 19 hearts used as source of human valves. On the other hand, one single lung and 18 double lungs were also utilized this year in addition to two pancreas transplantations.

The number of corneal transplantations performed in 2014 still reflects the continuous dependence on corneas harvested abroad. There were only 13 corneas harvested from local donors this year.

In conclusion, despite the achievements realized, (number of deceased heart beating cases reported, number consented, number harvested and number of organs transplanted/utilized), more efforts, through various media, are still needed to boost the organ donation and transplantation activities in the Kingdom. Stress on health education to the medical community and increasing public awareness about the importance of deceased organ donation and transplantation should still be continued.