High-Functioning Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant System Characteristics: The British Columbia Experience With an Opt-In System

Abstract

A high level of cooperation between organ procurement organizations and transplant programs may help maximize use of deceased donor kidneys. The practices that are essential for a high functioning organ donation and transplant system remain uncertain. We sought to report metrics of organ donation and transplant performance in British Columbia, Canada, and to assess the association of specific policies and practices that contribute to the system's performance. A retrospective observational study. Referred deceased organ donors in British Columbia were used in the study from January 1, 2016, to December 312019. Provincial, organ procurement organization, and center level policies were implemented to improve donor referral and organ utilization. Assessment of donor and kidney utilization along steps of the critical pathway for organ donation. Deceased donors were classified according to the critical pathway for organ donation and key donation and transplant metrics were identified. There were 1,948 possible donors referred. Of 1,948, 754 (39%) were potential donors. Of 754 potential donors, 587 (78%) were consented donors. Of 587 consented donors, 480 (82%) were eligible kidney donors. Of 480 eligible kidney donors, 438 (91%) were actual kidney donors. And of 438 actual kidney donors, 432 (99%) were utilized kidney donors. One-year all-cause allograft survival was 95%. Practices implemented to improve the system's performance included hospital donor coordinators, early communication between the organ procurement organization and transplant nephrologists, dedicated organ recovery and implant surgeons, aged-based kidney allocation, and hospital admission of recipients before kidney recovery. Assignment of causality between individual policies and practices and organ donation and utilization is limited in this observational study. In British Columbia, consent for donation, utilization of donated kidneys, and transplant survival are exceptionally high, suggesting the importance of an integrated deceased donor and kidney transplant service.