Committee continues review of input on liver distribution issues

Published on: Thursday, November 3, 2016

At its meeting on October 24, 2016, the OPTN/UNOS Liver and Intestinal Organ Transplantation Committee reviewed substantial feedback from the donation and transplantation community and from the public regarding its recently circulated public comment proposal to revise liver distribution. “We appreciate the wide range of thoughtful comments and suggestions we received from all interested parties,” said Ryutaro Hirose, M.D., chairman of the committee.

The committee will further review various solutions to address geographic disparities in liver distribution, with the goal of developing a revised proposal for public comment in the near future. Based on the input received, the proposal circulated for public comment in August 2016 will not be presented for a vote by the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors at its meeting December 5-6, 2016. Rather, the committee will lead a discussion at the December board meeting to describe the status of liver distribution as well as other committee projects intended to create greater equity in liver transplant policy.

“The OPTN/UNOS Board and the OPTN/UNOS Liver and Intestinal Organ Transplantation Committee are committed to developing a policy proposal, after considering feedback from all interested stakeholders, that improves equitable access to liver transplantation throughout the country,” said Stuart Sweet, M.D., OPTN/UNOS President. “It is equally vital to continue our community’s ongoing efforts to address the fundamental goals of increasing the number of organs available for transplantation and ensuring that available organs are used in the best manner possible.”