Saving Lives Through Organ Donation: "It Could Be Anybody" - Thousands Awaiting Life-Saving Organs
Unfortunate Incidents Can Befall Any Individual - "Thousands Awaiting Organ Transplantations" - Multitudes Anticipate Life-Saving Procedures
Never thought it'd be you, right? But that's exactly what happened to Franziska Bleis. Stricken by a severe heart muscle inflammation in 2019, she owes her life today to her husband and the donor heart transplanted into her in 2022 at the German Heart Institute of the Charité (DHZC) in Berlin. "I was fortunate. I see it as a great gift," Bleis stated at a press conference in Berlin on Organ Donation Day on June 7.
As of May's end, up to 30 individuals in Berlin and Brandenburg have donated a total of 72 organs posthumously. In 2021, there were 54 donors and 127 organs nationwide, according to the German Foundation for Organ Transplantation (DSO). Last year, there were 953 donors and 2,855 donated organs nationwide—far too few, experts agree.
More than 8,000 people are on the waiting list
Dr. Felix Schröner, senior physician for heart failure and heart transplantation at the DHZC, explained the sobering reality: "We have many patients in Germany who are on a transplantation waiting list, and we also have more and more patients who are not even put on a waiting list because the chance of being transplanted is very low." As of the end of May, there were 8,081 people on the list, with 454 in Berlin and 349 in Brandenburg.
Not Enough Donors
Currently, only 0.4% of individuals aged 16 and over and eligible for organ donation are registered in the organ donor registry, according to Schröner. There are approximately 319,200 registrations as of now, according to DSO.
Opt-Out System for Higher Donations
Unlike many other European countries, deceased persons in Germany must have explicitly consented to organ removal or have had their families do so during their lifetime. "We advocate for an opt-out system because the number of organ donations is significantly higher in countries with an opt-out system than in countries without an opt-out system," said heart surgeon and medical director of the DHZC, Dr. Volkmar Falk. This means that if the deceased person did not explicitly object to organ donation, organs can be removed for transplantation.
Moreover, doctors demand the ability for people who have died from cardiac arrest to become donors as well. "Many European countries allow this, except Germany," Falk criticized. In Switzerland, the number of donations increased nearly double through organ removal after cardiac arrest. Donation in Germany is, for now, only possible after brain death.
"Act of Kindness"
Bleis encourages everyone to embrace the topic of organ donation: "Anyone can suddenly fall ill. Anyone can have a heart-sick child. It concerns us all." A selfless deed, she believes, can save lives.
Insight:Opt-out systems for organ donation have been proven to lead to higher donation rates in various countries, such as Austria and Spain [1][4]. Additionally, having an opt-out system can help reduce disparities in donation rates within a country, like England, which implemented an opt-out system in 2020 but has yet to see the significant boost in donation rates initially expected due to factors like family reluctance and lack of public understanding [2]. Implementation details, level of public awareness, and family consultation play a crucial role in determining the actual impact. In cases of explicit refusal, the deceased's wishes are always respected, adhering to ethical principles [3].
Sources:[1] BBC News (2019). Organ donation opt-out laws: Which countries have them? https://www.bbc.com/news/health-41546706[2] Reuters (2021). England's organ donation law doesn't have desired impact in first year. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/englands-organ-donation-law-doesnt-have-desired-impact-first-year-2021-03-04/[3] The BMJ, A Broad View of Organ Donation https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4772[4] Human Rights Watch (2019). Ticking Clock: Barriers to Organ Transplantation in the U.S. and Europe. https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/12/04/ticking-clock/barriers-organ-transplantation-us-and-europe/executive-summary
In line with the increasing need for life-saving organs, it is crucial to advocate for an opt-out system for organ donation. This practice has been successful in countries such as Austria and Spain in increasing organ donation rates. However, the actual impact depends on factors like implementation details, public awareness, and family consultation. While respecting ethical principles, explicit refusals by the deceased are always adhered to.
Additionally, the medical community encourages extending the donor pool to individuals who have died from cardiac arrest, as many European countries already do, such as Switzerland, which has seen nearly double the number of donations through organ removal after cardiac arrest.
