site.btaEver More Organ Donors in Bulgaria

Ever More Organ Donors in Bulgaria

Varna, on the Black Sea, July 2 (BTA) - From a very low level of
organ donation in the last two years now the number of
Bulgarians who do so is increasing, the Director of the
Executive Agency for Transplantation Dr Mariyana Simeonova, said
in a BTA interview.

According to data of the Executive Agency, a total of 79
transplantations were performed in this country in 2014. Most
numerous were the kidney transplants (a total of 56 from
cadaveric and living donors), followed by liver transplants (18)
and heart transplants (4). Another 36 transplants have taken
place in Bulgaria since the beginning of the year, the most
numerous again being kidney transplants, followed by liver and
heart transplants. In comparison, the number of transplants in
2012 totalled 19. There is a chance that lung transplants may be
made in this country soon. According to Simeonova, specialists
for this are available in Bulgaria.

The waiting list for transplants in Bulgaria is over
1,000-patients-long. "This is normal when there was a very low
frequency of donors and transplants. The transplant system was
threatened: two years ago it was almost at rock bottom," Dr
Simeonova commented. "Again, the two reasons which were given:
that people in Bulgaria do not donate and the doctors don't
work, were, I think, refuted. My conclusion is that the
institutions do not work," she thinks.

It is very easy to say that "the doctors do not work", but it
should be known that they should be supported at hospital level
because the arrangements when a donor situation arises are
extremely complicated, the Executive Agency Director said.

In addition to care for the donor, which is exceedingly
difficult, this involves very complicated organization,
including the need of additional tests, which are not available
in every city or hospital. The coordinator cannot do all this
alone and here is the role of the Agency - this is what it does.


Every donor case concerns over 100 persons, 50 of whom are
directly involved, Dr Simeonova explained. "That is why people
should not worry that there could be some wrongdoing: a donation
can only proceed after brain death."

The interviewee explained that the percentage of brain-dead
patients is very small: from 2 to 7 per cent of those who die in
emergency rooms. This is not a condition which can be induced
artificially. It is very important to know that it is a myth
that if a patient is not treated his or her brain death will
ensue, thereby qualifying that person as a donor. "Only someone
who has undertaken resuscitation measures known to medicine to
save his life can be a donor," Simeonova explained.

There are cases in which Bulgarian donors have helped patients
in Europe and the other way round. Several of these and several
people in Europe were saved.

Bulgaria, in turn, has the first case of a patient with lungs
transplanted from an Austrian brain-dead citizen in Austria.
Another two girls are on their waiting list, and another three
patients are on the lung and heart transplant list. These people
are young and are entitled to transplantation, but such
operations are not carried out in Bulgaria.

Stem cells donation is extremely important because they are used
to treat oncohematological diseases. "Help can come from a
simple donation of blood, not even trepanation or bone marrow
extraction. The last is necessary very rarely," Dr Simeonova
said. In many cases, Bulgarian patients are saved with blood
donated, for example, in Germany, Spain or other countries.