Organ Harvesting and the Role of Anesthesiologist

The ability to procure and allocate organs is dependent on patient comorbidities, logistical factors and ethical considerations. The anesthesia team plays a critical role in supporting organ donation which may include donation after brain death (DBD) or donation after cardiac death (DCD) procurements. Careful monitoring and management of the donor patient’s circulatory, respiratory, hematologic and endocrine parameters specific to organ donation type can improve transplant outcomes for the recipient.