Life changing VCA transplants are made possible by deceased VCA donors. This study provides the first description of all known upper limb and craniofacial donors in the US.

The cohort included all deceased upper limb and craniofacial donors reported to the OPTN. Deceased donor procurements before the OPTN began collecting VCA transplant data in 2015 were identified with help from the hospitals that performed those transplants.

Transplant programs performed 32 upper limb (17 unilateral; 15 bilateral) and 13 craniofacial transplants between 1999 and November 10, 2017, with the largest number (n=6 upper limb and 3 craniofacial) performed in 2011. These organs were donated by 43 deceased donors– 11 donated a face, 30 donated upper limbs, and 2 donated both upper limb and face. These donors were recovered by 15 different OPOs.

Twenty-two (73.3%) of upper limb donors were male. The vast majority (n=28; 93.3%) were white. There was one black and one Hispanic upper limb donor. Four (13.3%) were < 18 yrs old, 19 (63.3%) between 18 and 44 yrs old, 6 (20.0%) were 45-54 yrs old, and 1 (3.3%) was > 55 yrs old. Nineteen (63.3%) were recovered by the VCA program's local OPO, 3 (10.0%) were regional shares, and 8 (26.7%) were national shares. Donor causes of death included anoxia (36.7%), CVA/stroke (23.3%), head trauma (36.7%), and other causes (3.3%). Median KDPI was 0.27 (IQR: 0.06-0.50).

Eight (72.7%) craniofacial donors were male. All (n=11; 100.0%) were white. None were < 18 yrs old, 7 (63.6%) were between 18 and 44 yrs old, 2 (18.2%) were 45-54 yrs old, and 2 (18.2%) were > 55 yrs old. All were recovered by the program's local OPO. Donor causes of death included anoxia (27.3%), CVA/stroke (27.3%), and head trauma (45.5%). Median KDPI was 0.26 (IQR: 0.05-0.75).

Deceased donors who have given the gift of an upper limb or craniofacial allograft in the US are a diverse group in terms of sex, age, and cause of death.

CITATION INFORMATION: Wainright J., Wholley C., Cherikh W., Rosendale J., Klassen D. Upper Limb and Craniofacial VCA Donors in the US Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

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