The demand for organs is growing far faster than the supply, according to a report by the United Network for Organ Sharing.
In fact, UNOS said, the gap between organ transplants and the number of patients waiting for an organ more than doubled in the 1990s. According to the report, the number of Americans waiting for organ transplants more than tripled over the decade — from 21,914 in 1990 to 72,110 at the end of 1999. During the same time, annual cadaveric and living donor transplants increased at a much slower rate — from 15,009 in 1990 to 21,715 in 1999.
"While transplant professionals are pleased with the increase in the number of transplants, we are clearly concerned by the growth in the waiting list. The community continues to seek new and better solutions to save and enhance patients' lives," said UNOS President Patricia Adams, MD. "One very encouraging trend is the growth and success of living donation."
The recently released "2000 Annual Report of the U.S. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network" represents the tenth annual edition of the report.
Additional findings of the new report include the following:
For Your Information:
UNOS posts a statement at www.unos.org/Newsroom/archive_newsrelease_20010226_ar2000.htm and posts the report, with related links, at www.unos.org/Data/anrpt_main.htm.
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