Donor management in cardiac transplantation.

The most important limitation in organ transplantation is donor availability. Canada is facing a serious situation with respect to organ donation rates and transplantation. The number of patients listed for heart transplant continues to increase while the number of available donors has plateaued. Several steps can be taken to address this growing mismatch. The proper identification and assessment of potential donors together with improvements in medical management may increase the donor pool. Additionally, the use of marginal donors and the development of new organ preservation techniques may lead to an increase in the number of potential heart transplants in Canada. This paper summarizes the identification, evaluation and management of heart transplant donors, and defines strategies to improve procurement activity in heart transplantation.