GENERAL-ASPECTS OF ORGAN DONATION

The general and surgical aspects of organ donation are of great releva nce for every surgeon in every hospital, as potential organ donor situ ations occur in every intensive care unit. Typical organ donors are pa tients suffering from intracerebral bleeding. There is no upper age li mit. The implementation of a potential organ donor program is the indi rect responsibility and task of every hospital in order to serve the p atients waiting in the geographical region of the hopital; organs retr ieved in another region should be available for patients in that other region. The general aspects of organ donation concern, for example, t he question of the legal aspects of brain death and adequate surgical procedures concerning the dignity of the donor. The surgical aspects i nclude a highly standardized technique using only aortal flush at an e arly stage of the operation without major manipulation of the organs p rior to perfusion. The liver and pancreas are removed en bloc and cons ecutively the kidneys, one by one. This no-touch technique is rapid an d safe, especially for atypical hepatic arteries, as all the tissue be tween the superior mesenteric artery, celiac trunk and minor curvature of the stomach is preserved with liver, irrespective of arterial anom alies.