Recenti progressi in medicina
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The number of recipients waiting for a solid organ transplantation has increased greatly in the past 5 years. The supply of donor organs during this period has not kept pace, resulting in a large shortage of suitable organs. In an effort to overcome the disparity between supply of donor and demands, various strategies have emerged to expand the existing donor selection criteria. ⋯ Adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation can further alleviate the pressure in the waiting list, but the risk for the donor must not be underestimated. The decrease in the number of heart-lung transplants in favour of more single and double lung transplants has also made more hearts and more lungs available. It is difficult to quantify the impact of all these procedures on the shortage of organ donors, but the waiting list should be cut by at least one-third for kidney and may be more for liver and lung transplants.