Approximately 33,000 patients are waiting for organ transplants in Türkiye.
Prof. Dr. Üstündağ told an AA correspondent that some patients have come to require organ transplants due to chronic diseases and various other ailments.
Üstündağ pointed out that the number of patients requiring transplantation of organs such as kidneys, liver, heart and others is increasing every year, and that thousands of patients are waiting for a transplant to hold on to life.
Üstündağ, stating that organ transplantation is the best treatment method for patients, said: "Approximately 33,000 citizens in Türkiye are awaiting organ transplants due to end-stage organ disorders. Kidney patients are the leading patients waiting for organ transplants. In Türkiye, 25,651 patients are awaiting kidney transplants, followed by 2,504 patients awaiting liver transplants. There are 1,540 patients awaiting heart transplants, 230 awaiting pancreas transplants, 210 awaiting lung transplants, and nearly 2,800 awaiting cornea transplants. Approximately 33,000 patients are seeking organ transplants to hold on to life and begin a new spring."
Üstündağ emphasized that some patients lose their lives while waiting for organ transplants, so organ donation is of vital importance.
Üstündağ, stating that organ transplants bring patients back to life, said, "Timely transplants are crucial. The highest number of patients in Türkiye are waiting for a kidney transplant. If your kidney is damaged, your heart, your vascular bed, and your brain will deteriorate. Those toxins affect all organs. Therefore, the longer the time until transplantation, the shorter the life expectancy."
The number of cadaver transplants should increaseÜstündağ stated that they have to increase the rate of cadaver transplants in organ transplants.
Recalling that the number of organ transplants from deceased donors dropped during the pandemic, Üstündağ stated: "Our goal is to perform organ transplants from patients who have died but whose organs remain intact. In terms of kidney transplants, before the pandemic, one in every four transplants performed in Türkiye was from a deceased donor. Our Ministry of Health was carrying out very important work. However, these numbers have worsened since the pandemic. According to the latest data, 9.5% of transplants were from deceased donors. A larger portion are from living donors. I hope that the rate of cadaver transplants will increase with the donations of our generous people, and soon there will be no more patients waiting for a transplant in our country."
Habertürk
