Eurotransplant
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The Eurotransplant International Foundation, commonly known simply as Eurotransplant, is an international
non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
responsible for encouraging and coordinating
organ transplant Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ (anatomy), organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or org ...
s in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. The headquarters are located in
Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...
, Netherlands. The organization was created by Jon J. van Rood in 1967.


History

Eurotransplant was founded by Jon J. van Rood of the Netherlands in 1967 on the basis that matching
human leukocyte antigen The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is a complex of genes on chromosome 6 in humans that encode cell-surface proteins responsible for regulation of the immune system. The HLA system is also known as the human version of the major histo ...
types between organ donors and recipients improved survival in organ transplants, requiring a large network of possible patients from a central organisation. Initially, the Eurotransplant network comprised twelve transplant centres (hospitals) in three countries that provided details of the transplant candidates on their waiting lists so that, when donor organs became available, the best match could be selected from a larger pool. Within several years, six countries were involved with 68 transplant centres: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Switzerland later withdrew and Slovenia (1999), Croatia (2007) and Hungary (2013) later joined. Eurotransplant initially focused on
kidney transplantation Kidney transplant or renal transplant is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage kidney disease (ESRD). Kidney transplant is typically classified as deceased-donor (formerly known as cadaveric) or living-donor transplantat ...
but later expanded to
liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
,
heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
,
pancreas The pancreas (plural pancreases, or pancreata) is an Organ (anatomy), organ of the Digestion, digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdominal cavity, abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a ...
,
lung The lungs are the primary Organ (biology), organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the Vertebral column, backbone on either side of the heart. Their ...
, and intestine transplantation. By 1999, around 70,000 transplantations had been performed through the Eurotransplant network; by 2012, the number was more than 125,000. In 2023, 6,815 organs were transplanted through the Eurotransplant network, nearly half of which were kidneys.


Organisation

All transplant clinics, tissue-typing laboratories, and hospitals in the member countries where organ donations take place are included in the exchange. There is a democratic structure wherein each national transplant society selects members of a central advisory committee.


References


External links

* {{Authority control European medical and health organizations Leiden Organisations based in South Holland Organizations established in 1969 Transplant organizations