Researchers from the University of Kiel and the Eurotransplant International Foundation reported that allowing organ donation following a definite circulatory standstill-as opposed to the current standard-could significantly increase the number of transplants and shorten waiting times. This study, which utilized European data, was published in the “Deutsches Ärzteblatt”.
Currently, Germany only permits organ donation after irreversible brain failure. However, many other countries have established controlled donation processes following cardiac death. Modeling estimates developed for 2023 suggested that if Germany adopted frameworks similar to those in Switzerland, it could have facilitated approximately 35 percent more liver transplants and 60 percent more kidney transplants.
The authors cautioned that the actual impact heavily depends on established organizational and legal frameworks. They stated that their work aims to broaden the public discussion, which is currently dominated by debates over implementing an opt-out (default) consent system. They concluded by noting that the potential introduction of donation after cardiac death is fundamentally a societal and political decision.