This marks the first time the country has significantly surpassed the 2,000-transplant mark, beating its previous high of 1,805 procedures in 2023.
A total of 2,151 patients benefited from last year’s operations, with the difference in numbers due to some individuals receiving more than one organ.
Thirty-two patients underwent simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplants; 10 received a kidney alongside a liver; two had a kidney and a heart transplanted together; one patient was given a kidney and lungs; and another received a heart and lungs.
The rise in organ retrieval is linked to more hospitals across Poland reporting potential donors, aided by the introduction of provincial transplant coordinators.
Last year, 917 possible donors were identified, from whom 710 organs were eventually taken.
These coordinators reach out to families of the deceased, address any concerns about donation, and oversee the transplant process.
As in previous years, kidneys accounted for the largest share of transplants, at 1,132. This was followed by 615 livers, 201 hearts, and 147 lungs.
In 2023, 977 kidneys, 523 livers, 178 hearts, and 98 lungs were transplanted.
Liver transplants in particular have grown over the last two decades, and although lung operations started later, they have also been on the rise.
Despite these advances, transplants from living donors remain a weak point for Polish transplant medicine, making up just over five percent of all procedures.
Last year, 82 kidneys and 24 fragments of the liver were transplanted from living donors—numbers that have remained relatively low over the years.
Living donor operations are typically within families, though unrelated donors such as spouses occasionally qualify.
In 2015, surgeons in Warsaw performed Poland’s first “cross” and “chain” kidney transplants, enabling donors and recipients to match across multiple pairs when direct compatibility was impossible.
Organs from living donors often function longer than those from deceased donors, in part because they are out of circulation for a much shorter time. They are subject to ischemia for just one hour on average, compared to approximately 30 hours for an organ retrieved from a deceased donor.
A transplanted living donor kidney typically works for about 15 years—around five years longer than those retrieved from someone who has died.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP