Abstract
Purpose With increasing organs available in light of the national opioid epidemic and the availability of direct acting-antiviral (DAA) therapy for Hepatitis C virus (HCV), HCV antibody (Ab)+ organs serve as an important potential supply to the donor pool. We sought to examine trends over time in the utilization of HCV Ab+ organs both nationally and regionally. Methods We queried the United Network for Organ Sharing registry data in the DAA era between January 2012 and March 2018 for adults ≥18 years who had undergone heart transplantation with a HCV Ab+ donor as well as donor recovery data. Results The incidence of HCV Ab+ deceased donors have increased from 4.6% in 2012 to 8.7 in 2018 (p Conclusion Over the last two years, with the availability of DAA therapy, there has been increased nationwide recovery and utilization of HCV Ab+ donor hearts that is accompanied by significant regional variability. Adopting standardized protocols across UNOS regions and transplant centers may increase utilization of these donors more effectively and potentially lead to better outcomes.
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