Continued Variation in Defining a “Suitable Donor” Across the United States

Abstract

Heart transplantation remains the gold standard for refractory heart failure, and although outcomes are excellent, the scarcity of organs leads to eligible patients’ suffering and potentially dying on the waiting list, and regional variations in donor availability cause geographic discrepancies in organ allocation and waitlist mortality. To use potential donors maximally, transplantation centers have expanded what is considered an acceptable organ, and a higher-risk “extended criteria donor” (ECD) designation has been coined to describe less perfect organs.