A Marked Increase in Organ Donation in Puerto Rico

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings 2005-11, Vol.37 (9), p.3618-3620
• Main Authors: Saade, M., Davies, J., Torres, E., Morales-Otero, L., Gonzalez-Caraballo, Z., Santiago-Delpin, E.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Death; Cadaver; Clinical death. Palliative care. Organ gift and preservation; Foundations; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Humans; Kidney Transplantation - statistics & numerical data; Medical sciences; Patient Education as Topic; Puerto Rico; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Time Factors; Tissue and Organ Procurement - organization & administration; Tissue and Organ Procurement - statistics & numerical data; Tissue Donors - statistics & numerical data; Tissue Donors - supply & distribution; Tissue, organ and graft immunology; United States
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2005.09.102

During its first years of existence, the Puerto Rico Transplant Program barely reached 18 to 20 renal transplants per year. A brain death amendment to the law improved the numbers but only to a stable thirty/year. Polls and studies showed that, although people knew about transplantation and expressed willingness to donate, the powerful emotional grief reaction, as well as a peculiar decision-making process, all militated against effective donation. In 1995, LifeLink of Puerto Rico was created as part of the very successful LifeLink Foundation of Tampa, staffed by local professionals. Cadaveric donation increased exponentially by 1227% and in 2004, 22.4 donors per million population were recovered, up from 1.5, one of the steepest growth curves in the United States. As a result, kidney transplantation increased, a cardiac transplant program was inaugurated, a pancreas transplant program has started, and liver will follow. The success is the result of well-trained, culturally sensitive coordinators and requestors; continuous education to the public, hospitals, administrators, neurospecialists, and critical care units; hospital development; implementation of federal law; and a sensitive approach the deceased donor family, and not only to the waiting list patients. The results demonstrate that organizational and educational factors can override cultural obstacles.