Challenges IN organ transplantation

Organ transplantation is one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th century. Medically and logistically, transplantation is one of the most complex medical interventions. It involves many professions and spans dozens of countries relying on patients’ most sensitive data. In order for an organ to be successfully transplanted, all components of the domestic and international transplant chain must operate quickly and efficiently.

Trust in medicine, doctors, nurses and the entire health team is the foundation of transplantation. Without trust, there would be no donation of organs from living or deceased donors. Transplantation in Slovenia and many other countries is only possible because of trust. We should take every precaution to never jeopardize this trust. Organ shortage is one of the main challenges of transplantation medicine. This has been the case since the beginning of transplantation and remains so today. A large discrepancy between supply and demand for human organs leads to ethically borderline or outright unacceptable practices in organ harvesting. Organ trafficking or the use of organs of executed prisoners are condemned throughout the world as practices unacceptable to a civilized society.

Slovenia has a unique position and advantages in the field of transplantation. It has a large university hospital, University Medical Center (UMC) Ljubljana, which carries out all organ transplants and takes care of all recipients, from transplantation to failure of the transplanted organ. Slovenijatransplant, responsible for the donor program in conjunction with 10 Slovenian donor hospitals, is based in UMC Ljubljana. This enables a very close connection of
the donor program with the recipient program and the waiting lists maintained by UMC Ljubljana. Since January 1, 2000, Slovenia has been a member of Eurotransplant, a large international network, which allows it to exchange
organs providing a greater choice in obtaining the best organ for an individual patient. We would not have had this choice if we were limited only to our own country.

Slovenian transplantation experts working in UMC Ljubljana are thoroughly acquainted with the achievements in the field of artificial organs, regenerative medicine and treatment of chronic diseases. In light of this comprehensive knowledge, every patient with advanced organ failure can be offered the best treatments that modern medicine can offer: personalized treatment, tailored to each patient, which takes into account both medical knowledge and patients’ wishes and concerns.

Conference Proceedings
Ethical Challenges in Organ Transplantation (PDF)

prof.  Jadranka Buturović Ponikvar, PhD, MD
Jadranka Buturović
Editor in-chief Ethical Challenges in Organ Transplantation