The numbers of organ donations, transplants and reports of potential donors are growing in Sardinia in 2023.
The data for the year that has just ended were presented by Lorenzo D'Antonio, regional transplant coordinator, and by the regional health councilor Carlo Doria. The growth starts from the increase in the reporting of potential donors: approximately 43.7% more compared to 2022 (115 reported in 2023 against 80 in 2022) equal to 72.4 potential donors reported per million residents, compared to the same data recorded on a national of 50.5.
The consequences are predictable: the number of donors used grew by 17.3% compared to 2022, going from 51 to 61 cases. There were 79 transplants in 2023, an increase compared to 2022 (76). In particular, 35 liver transplants (33 in 2022); 2 combined liver-kidney (none in 2022); 30 single kidney (34 in 2022); 7 heart transplants (there were also 7 in 2022); 5 lung transplants performed in Turin based on an agreement with organs from Sardinian donors (there were 2 in 2022).
Regarding the organs removed in Sardinia and transplanted in extra-regional centers, in 2023 there were 29 for the liver. Then 24 for the kidney, 10 for the heart. Then three for the lungs. Furthermore, 40 corneal samples were taken during 2023 (as in 2022).
The average time on the liver transplant waiting list as of December 31st is 1.27 years (1.65 years national average waiting time). For a heart transplant you wait 2.70 years (3.65 nationally). For the kidney, the wait is 3.07 years (2.85 national average). Patients transplanted in 2023 waited 0.68 years for a liver transplant (0.83 at a national level). For the heart, transplant recipients waited 0.48 years (0.83 nationally). For the kidney the wait was 0.56 years (1.75 at national level). There were 316,000 Sardinian citizens who declared their will to the Municipalities: of these, 76.9% expressed their consent to the donation (at a national level 70%); the percentage of those who communicated opposition to the donation, again in the Municipality, is equal to 23.1% (similar figure at national level is 30%).
Regarding the declarations of intent issued in Sardinia, the province of Nuoro has 84.1% of favorable declarations. Then Oristano, 78.1%, Sassari, 77.4%, Cagliari, 75.4%. Among the medium-large municipalities, Nuoro and Alghero occupy the 2nd and 3rd place at a national level for joint declarations in favor of donation; while among the medium-small municipalities, the municipality of Oliena occupies 7th place at a national level for yes to donation.
(Unioneonline)