When the lungs and/or heart of a dying person are "consented" to be transplanted as the individual is dying, most lay persons believe the organs find their way to a needy recipient. However, 81 percent of consented lungs and 62% of consented hearts aren't even recovered (i.e. taken out of the patient) for transplantation. This article written for transplant professions reported these alarming rates and provided reasons for the large number of non-recovered hearts and lungs. Experts in the field provided their comments and suggestions for better utilization.
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