Organ donation and transplantation in the Russian Federation in 2020 13th Report from the Registry of the Russian Transplant Society

Abstract

Objective: to monitor the current trends and developments in organ donation and transplantation in the Russian Federation based on the 2020 data. Materials and methods. Heads of organ transplant centers were surveyed through questionnaires. Data control was done using the information accounting system of the Russian Ministry of Health. Between separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation and between transplantation centers, comparative analysis of data obtained over years was performed. Results. Based on data retrieved from the 2020 Registry, 44 kidney, 29 liver and 16 heart transplantation programs were functioning in the Russian Federation in 2020. The kidney transplant waitlist in 2020 included about 11.5% of the total 60,000 patients receiving dialysis. Organ donation activity in 2020 was 3.9 per million population, with a 74.6% multi-organ procurement rate and an average of 2.9 organs being procured from one effective donor. In 2020, there were 7.7 kidney transplants per million population, 3.8 liver transplants per million population and 1.7 heart transplants per million population. Same year, the number of transplant surgeries performed in the Russian Federation fell by 19.2% to 13.4 per million population against the background of the outbreak caused by the new coronavirus disease COVID-19. The city of Moscow and the Moscow region in 2020 accounted for 13 out of the 14 functioning organ transplantation centers, performing 66.3% of all kidney transplants and 72.4% of all extrarenal transplants in the country. The number of organ recipients in the Russian Federation have exceeded 130 per million population. Conclusion. In 2020, despite the new coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying restrictive measures, transplant centers continued to perform organ transplants, run a waiting list and monitor organ recipients. However, the number of effective donors (–22.9%) and organ transplants (–19.2%) decreased, tentatively to the 2017 levels. In 2021, transplant centers with support from health authorities will have to restore the volume of transplant care with consideration to the real needs of the population and the donor resource. The COVID-19 factor, including vaccination of the population, as well as financial support to transplantation programs, will be decisive in shaping the trend of transplantation care and organ donation in the federal subjects of the Russian Federation in the coming 1–2 years.