Substantial Increase in Cadaveric Organ Transplantation in Greece for the Period 2001–2005

Evaluation of the willingness for cadaveric donation in Greece: A population‐based study

“…Although it was found that the rate of body donation to medical science remains low in Greece, and most Greek citizens are not willing to become body donors, the percentage of referred versus used cadaveric organ donors has increased by 468% and 134%, respectively (Karatzas et al,2007). A recent study found that the vast majority of medical students were in favor of becoming organ donors, and a number had already registered as such (Dardavessis et al,2011).…”

“…Undoubtedly, the increased numbers and percentages of organ donors compared to previous years are due to the radical changes implemented by the Hellenic National Transplant Organization (EOM,2012), which introduced transplant coordination principles and procurement management, concepts not previously established in Greece. Of course, the success of a transplantation program depends upon the quality and effectiveness of the donation process, and in Greece, the legal framework regulating transplantation was enacted late in comparison to other European countries (Mavroforou et al,2004; Karatzas et al,2007). Considering that there are still some major obstacles, such as intensivists' refusal to disconnect, inaccessible geographical locations or few transplant centers, the main ways to increase transplantations in Greece appear to be public education, a new medical curriculum that could increase medical students' awareness, and activation of voluntary organizations that promote organ donation (Gillman,1999; Cahill and Ettarh,2008; Perry and Ettarh,2009).…”

The impact of presumed consent laws and institutions on deceased organ donation

“…Israel is discarded in order to reduce heterogeneity in social norms. 6 Greece is discarded on the grounds that the cause of low transplant rates is a low number of medical staff and intensive care units and not a low deceased donation rate [18]. Luxembourg is discarded due to data inconsistencies on deceased donation rates.…”

Do smaller adults wait longer for liver transplantation? A comparison of the UK and the USA data

“…Unfortunately, in the UK, the number of donor livers available to meet this increased demand has remained static (3). This is in contrast to the USA (4) and some Western European countries (5) where donation rates have increased. In addition, an unknown number of patients are either not assessed or assessed and considered unsuitable for listing due to the organ shortage, thereby keeping the mortality of patients on the liver transplant list artificially low (6).…”