Impact of retransplantation on organ allocation in France

Abstract

In France, organ retransplantation represents a small proportion of all organ transplantations, but becomes a significant difficulty when considering the allocation of a limited number of organs. In fact, the results of organ retransplantations are grosso modo inferior to those of first transplantations. Failures of retransplantations have many causes including surgical complications, immunosuppression, rejection, and often the bad consequences of a long standing disease. Little place is specifically devoted to retransplantation in organ allocation rules. The impact of retransplantation on organ allocation is in fact very largely linked to the medical decision of the transplant team, a decision which certainly would gain to be better analysed.