This figure trends the median distance (in nautical miles) that kidneys, livers, hearts, and lungs travel for deceased donor transplants in the United States over the past decade or so. The sharp increases in distance travelled for each organ correspond exactly to changes in allocation policies which allowed organs to be offered farther away.
For anyone wondering, there is an interesting story about why the lung distance changed dramatically in 2023. Up to that point, nearly all lung transplants were completed on cystic fibrosis patients in their 20s and 30s. In 2022/2023 a new pharmaceutical treatment made for a huge change in cystic fibrosis treatment. Those patients now take the medicine and the need for transplant is greatly delayed. So, what do they do with all those lungs from donors and all the hospital resources dedicated to lung transplants? They do transplants on older patients. They can also be more selective about the lungs thry use so they travel farther.
My dad benefited from this change. In early 2023 he received a transplant as part of his treatment for another type of fibrosis.
odd anecdote. my kidney came from 2000 nm away. I told my transplant team I’d fly myself across the country so we could do the surgeries in real time, side-by-side.
And they told me, no worries, we use the best preservatives! and we track it with GPS!
I’m more interested in the distance you travel before they decide “This is a prime candidate for harvest, he’s an organ donor too. Fuck what shitty life as a blue collar wage slave he has left. A rich man needs a fifth heart and he’s paying for it well.”
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This figure trends the median distance (in nautical miles) that kidneys, livers, hearts, and lungs travel for deceased donor transplants in the United States over the past decade or so. The sharp increases in distance travelled for each organ correspond exactly to changes in allocation policies which allowed organs to be offered farther away.
Source: [https://srtr.org/tools/donation-and-transplant-system-explorer/](https://srtr.org/tools/donation-and-transplant-system-explorer/)
Disclaimer: I wrote built and maintain this tool.
For anyone wondering, there is an interesting story about why the lung distance changed dramatically in 2023. Up to that point, nearly all lung transplants were completed on cystic fibrosis patients in their 20s and 30s. In 2022/2023 a new pharmaceutical treatment made for a huge change in cystic fibrosis treatment. Those patients now take the medicine and the need for transplant is greatly delayed. So, what do they do with all those lungs from donors and all the hospital resources dedicated to lung transplants? They do transplants on older patients. They can also be more selective about the lungs thry use so they travel farther.
My dad benefited from this change. In early 2023 he received a transplant as part of his treatment for another type of fibrosis.
odd anecdote. my kidney came from 2000 nm away. I told my transplant team I’d fly myself across the country so we could do the surgeries in real time, side-by-side.
And they told me, no worries, we use the best preservatives! and we track it with GPS!
I’m more interested in the distance you travel before they decide “This is a prime candidate for harvest, he’s an organ donor too. Fuck what shitty life as a blue collar wage slave he has left. A rich man needs a fifth heart and he’s paying for it well.”
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