Attitudes of potential candidates for heart and heart-lung transplantation to xenotransplantation

Abstract

Potential heart and heart-lung recipients and their caregivers have limited information about xenotransplantation and are currently unsure about the acceptability of this procedure. Although this uncertainty may be due to their lack of information about this intervention, it may also reflect concerns about the morality of breeding animals solely to provide organs for transplantation.

Determinants of stakeholders’ attitudes to xenotransplantation

“…Perceived benefit emerges as the most important direct predictor of attitudes to xenotransplantation. Perceived benefits have been frequently cited as a pre‐condition for supporting various biotechnology applications and animal experimentation for xenotransplantation …”

Attitudinal study of organ xenotransplantation in patients on the kidney and liver transplant waiting list in a country with a high rate of deceased donation

“…The results of this study show that if the option of xenotransplantation became available, and if the results of xenotransplantation were worse than those achieved using human donors, and that the transplanted animal organ would involve more risks than the human one, the percentage of patients in favor would drop considerably in both kidney (8% who would accept it) and liver patients (16%). Perhaps the favorable situation of our patients in terms of higher donation rates, added to the fear of failure (as they have limited information about the subject [25,26], and feel like “elements” in an unknown experiment which is not a clinical reality) is stronger and weighs more heavily and they prefer to wait on the transplant waiting list [15]. In this regard, it has been observed that in the difficult and stressful situation experienced by these patients, there is a tendency to act in a more intuitive way, choosing the nearest and more real alternative [27].…”

Meta‐analysis of public perception toward xenotransplantation

“…Preliminary review of the 19 studies being considered, presented with considerable independent variable heterogeneity, and exhibited significant variability in the questions asked . However, the majority reported that, among those surveyed, >50% supported XTx, with a range from as low of 37% to a maximum of 83% . Of the 19 data‐based studies, 12 were considered for inclusion in our study, but only eight provided original data in a usable format for meta‐analysis .…”