Transplant procurement teams travel extensively. Though considered hazardous, little data on the necessity and risks of this travel exist. We conducted a survey of ASTS surgeons to assess the scope of travel and incidence of accidents. Among 262 respondents, 40.6% performed >20 procurements in the last 12 months, and most (>80%) high-volume surgeons were in their first 10 years of practice. 50% of reported procurements involved flight, while 16% utilized procurement facilities. Respondents reported personal involvement in 1143 travel incidents including 177 accidents with injuries and 567 aborted procedures or losses of donor organs. Among surgeons in practice for ≤10 years, 7.7% reported personal involvement in an accident and 33% reported organ losses or aborted procurements. Surgeons flying for >50% of their donors reported a mean of 2.49 career accidents, compared to 0.53 accidents among those with fewer flights. Those using a procurement facility >50% of the time reported a mean of 0.28 accidents compared to 1.24 accidents among those using hospitals (p < 0.001 for both comparisons). Perceptions of safety did not correlate with time in practice, procurement volume, or personal accident history. Only 33% and 24% of cardiac and liver surgeons expressed a strong preference that non-DCD organs be procured by their own center. Increased use of bedside liver biopsy, better DCD prediction models, and proliferation of donor centers will reduce travel. Our data indicate an alarming incidence of travel accidents and highlight the need to reduce risk.

CITATION INFORMATION: Schenk A., Adams A., Lynch R. Procurement Travel Safety: Current Practices, Accident Frequency, Perceptions of Safety and Means to Reduce Risk Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

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