The Summer 2022 issue leads with the OPTN Board’s landmark vote to eliminate race-based GFR calculations from transplant listing — a major step toward equitable access — alongside the latest data on rising kidney transplant rates among minority and pediatric candidates. Inside: a curated roundup of noteworthy abdominal transplant literature from 2021, two deep-dives on imminent death donation and normothermic ex vivo perfusion, and a program spotlight on Duke University Medical Center’s cardiothoracic transplant program.
Inside This Issue
- UNOS News — OPTN Board eliminates race-based GFR calculations for transplant listing, and one-year data shows significant kidney transplant increases for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and pediatric candidates under the 250 nautical mile allocation system
- Research Updates — Noteworthy abdominal transplant literature of 2021 (Sakai et al.), renal recovery in HRS living donor liver recipients, a randomized trial of HOPE in extended criteria donors, the first 3-day ex situ normothermic liver preservation case (Nature Biotechnology), the Alfapump ascites-mobilizing registry, and sequential liver-kidney living donors
- Special Topics — Dr. Alex Stoker on Imminent Death Donation (IDD) and the ethical landscape, plus a primer on normothermic ex vivo perfusion in liver transplantation
- Program Spotlight — Duke University Medical Center cardiothoracic transplant program, with Dr. Brandi Bottiger on Duke’s DCD heart program (80+ cases), the Transmedics OCS trial supporting FDA approval, and elective intraoperative VA ECMO for lung transplant
- Announcements — Free 6-month SATA membership for fellows, and an Alliance webinar on “Increasing Liver Utilization Using Hard to Place Livers” (August 16, 2022)
