【Objective】 To ensure the sustained continuity of organ transplantation healthcare in Japan, the establishment of an efficient transport system for instruments and materials, the implementation of a specialized division of labor within organ retrieval surgeries, and the preparation of internal institutional environments for potential increases in transplantation cases are considered requisite.
【Methods】 To illuminate the existing circumstances both domestically and internationally, an empirical investigation through surveys was conducted as part of a specialized project in health and labor sciences.
【Results】 Responses were garnered from 121 domestic institutions (comprising 11 specializing in cardiac, 11 in pulmonary, 31 in hepatic, 22 in pancreatic, 66 in renal, and 10 in intestinal treatments) and 29 international establishments (including 6 for pulmonary, 23 for hepatic, 13 for pancreatic, 14 for renal, and 5 for intestinal, with instances of duplication). Overseas, in contrast to Japan, a well-defined division of labor within organ retrieval surgeries was established, and an extensive engagement of internists was evident from the immediate post-transplantation phase to post-discharge medical care. Furthermore, the simultaneous implementation of multi-organ transplantations within a single facility was commonly practiced.
【Conclusion】 Considering the projected rise in organ donation figures, it was deemed imperative to advance the refinement of domestic institutional infrastructure and to conduct further comprehensive data acquisition to accomplish the sustainability of transplant medicine.
