German Society for Tissue Transplantation gGmbH
Hanover (ots)
3,070 people donated tissue in 2022 – a new record. Compared to the previous year, the German Society for Tissue Transplantation (DGFG) Increase tissue donation again: 53 tissue donation coordinators processed almost 45,000 donor reports, conducted 7,915 informational talks and received 3,367 approvals. 42.5 percent of all donors and relatives agreed to a tissue donation. The state with the most donations in 2022 is North Rhine-Westphalia with 448 tissue donations, closely followed by Saxony with 446 tissue donations. A total of 7,111 patients received a tissue transplant from the DGFG network. Despite this pleasing development, the DGFG worried about the future. Because what is missing are life-saving heart valves. While the DGFG was able to increase the donation of corneas, the non-profit organization had to accept a sharp decline in the donation of heart valves. The reason for this is in particular the decline in organ donation, from which the majority of heart valves are still obtained. In addition, that which came into force in March 2022 is endangered Law to strengthen decision-making in organ donation patient care significantly. The access restrictions stipulated therein[1] to the planned register will hinder the donation process and lead to a significant drop in the number of donations if nothing is changed before the start of the register.
DGFG criticizes legal reform and warns of fatal consequences for patient care with tissue
“The law that came into force in March 2022 to strengthen decision-making when it comes to organ donation will, in this form, slow down our work in tissue donation. For each individual case, we would need the information from the register, which is only available via authorized clinic employees with a electronic health professional card can be retrieved. With around 45,000 cases per year that we process at the DGFG and limited time and human resources on the clinic side, this cannot work. With this extreme organizational effort for retrieving possible decision documentation, we can limit the time window in of tissue donation,” states Martin Börgel, Managing Director of the DGFG. “This legal reform makes it clear that there is a complete lack of knowledge on the part of politicians about the tissue donation processes. We still have to struggle with a shortage of tissue donation, especially heart valves. The DGFG network handles half of the patient care with tissue transplants . Urgent action is needed to keep things this way.”
More and more corneas – fewer and fewer heart valves
In the third year of the pandemic, the DGFG succeeded in further expanding tissue donation: the DGFG was able to successfully mediate 7,111 tissue transplants, including 4,366 corneal transplants. The cornea is still the most donated tissue at 83.5 percent. In addition to the donation of corneas, heart valves, blood vessels and amniotic membranes, the DGFG also donated bones, tendons and ligaments (musculoskeletal tissue = MSG) in 2022. As part of these 28 MSG donations, 388 preparations could be obtained. In the supply of heart valves, the picture was different: the DGFG was only able to place 144 heart valves for transplantation in 2022, ten fewer than in the previous year. “With more than 300 requests for a heart valve, that’s significantly too few, if you consider that the life expectancy of the patients has to suffer as a result. Young patients in particular are on human heart valves, which can grow with them and do not require blood-thinning medication, Here we have to work together with the clinics to expand heart valve donation after cardiovascular death in order to have a reliable alternative to organ donation,” says Börgel.
Most heart valves come from organ donation
Organ donation is still important for patient care, especially with cardiovascular tissue (KVG), ie heart valves and blood vessels: A total of 322 tissue donations came from organ donors (10.5%). In 55 percent of these tissue donations, the heart could be removed to obtain the heart valves and vessels that were still functional. Since, in contrast to organ donation, tissue donation is not linked to brain death diagnostics, the DGFG has been promoting the organ donation program of the DGFG for several years KVG donation for cardiovascular deceased Ahead. Heart valves and vessels can be removed up to 36 hours, and cornea donation even up to 72 hours after death. “In tissue donation, we don’t have the situation where a heart valve has to be implanted within four hours of removal from patients, just like a heart. We have up to 36 hours to remove the heart and bring it to a tissue bank for processing “The medical screening, the informational talks and the removals are carried out by our own staff. In addition to a timely notification of donors and the rapid transfer of the deceased to a refrigerator, we also need a removal room from the clinics. More support is needed here on the part of the clinics,” says Börgel.
More and more doctors are turning to alternatives to amniotic membrane transplantation
As an alternative to conventional amniotic membrane transplantation, in which the thin membrane from the mother’s placenta is sewn onto the surface of the eye, more and more ophthalmologists are resorting to the AmnioClip plus (AC+) back. The DGFG was able to sell 140 of these clips in 2022, around 60 more than in the previous year. The AC+ is an innovation from the DGFG network. Like a contact lens, it can be placed on the diseased or injured eye. Advantage: The amniotic membrane is clamped in a ring system and can be removed again after success has been achieved. There is no need for an additional suture, which ensures gentle healing success for patients. The will be won amniotic membrane as part of the placenta donation, a living tissue donation in the case of a planned caesarean section. In 2022, the DGFG was able to realize 21 placenta donations.
About the German Society for Tissue Transplantation (DGFG)
The DGFG has been promoting tissue donation and transplantation in Germany since 1997. Based on the Tissue Act of 2007, all activities and processes of tissue donation are regulated by law. The trade ban applies to all tissue preparations. The DGFG arranges its transplants via a central agency with a nationwide waiting list. Every medical facility in Germany can obtain tissue from the DGFG. As an independent, non-profit company, the DGFG is supported exclusively by public health care institutions: The partners are the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, the University Hospital Leipzig, the Hannover Medical School, the University Medicine Rostock and the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Clinic Neubrandenburg. The DGFG is unique in Germany in terms of its organizational structure, the voluntary nature of support from network partners and its independence from private or commercial interests.
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Press contact:
German Society for Tissue Transplantation (DGFG)
Kristin Kleinhoff
Press and public relations
Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21 | 30625 Hanover
[email protected]
Telephone: 0511 / 563 559 34
Mobile: 0151 414 000 51
Original content from: German Society for Tissue Transplantation gGmbH, transmitted by news aktuell
