Geography has often been a determining factor in a patient’s chances of receiving an organ. Luckily, advances in transport and technology overcome this limitation. In 2023, a record of 46,632 transplants were performed in the United States. Of this number, around 39,000 were from deceased donors, and 7,000 were living donor transplants.
Unfortunately, the demand for organs still exceeds the available supply. There are 103,000 people waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Sometimes, available organs aren’t used at all — the number of organs recovered by OPOs (Organ Procurement Organizations) yet unused for transplant has increased twofold in the last five years.
Learn about how organs are transported for transplant and how choosing the correct mode of transport can help make the best use of a limited organ supply.
Understanding the Organ Transportation Process
Organ transportation requires flawless coordination between donor hospitals, OPOs, transplant centers, and logistics and transportation experts. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) oversees this process. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) regulates it with strict protocols controlling essential steps in organ transportation.
Key Steps in Organ Transport for Transplants
OPOs play a crucial role in procuring organs from deceased donors. In addition to identifying and assessing donors’ potential, OPOs work closely with donors’ families to obtain their consent. Nothing can lessen the grief of losing a loved one. However, families consenting to organ donation often see it as a chance for something good to arise from tragedy.
After donors’ organs are matched with those in need, OPOs assist in organ recovery and transportation to the transplant center. Key steps in organ transplant transportation include:
- Recovery: A transplant team performs the recovery procedure. Organs such as kidneys, hearts, lungs, livers and intestines can be recovered from deceased donors.
- Preservation: Just before being removed, the organs are flushed with a preservation solution of electrolytes and nutrients. After being recovered, they are packaged into sterile, ice-filled containers. Organs are sometimes also maintained via artificial support.
- Travel: The surgical team from the recipient’s transplant center will usually travel to the donor’s hospital to recover and transport the organs to the recipient. Depending on the distance involved, road or air transportation is used.
Following recovery, transporting organs to their recipients is a race against the clock. Outside the body, organs can only remain healthy for a limited period. Each organ’s maximum preservation time differs — hearts and lungs can only be preserved for four to six hours, whereas kidneys can remain viable for 24 to 36 hours.
Transport Protocols for Organ Transplants
As reliable and timely organ transportation is a matter of life and death, OPOs must account for every technicality. There are various OPTN policies governing:
- Packaging: OPOs must follow international safety measures for packaging organs in a sterile environment. They must also use temperature-controlled packaging with adequate insulation during transport.
- Labeling: OPOs must label organs using the OPTN’s tracking system. The label must include information such as the donor ID and a description of the package’s contents.
- Shipping: Before shipping, OPOs must verify the accuracy of organ packaging labels. Then, they must document this confirmation and report to the OPTN that the package is ready for tracking.
This level of precision means that all members involved in the organ transplant process, from surgeons to transport companies, must be conscious of every detail that helps ensure recipients receive viable organs.
Maintaining Viability in Organ Transport
Preserving an organ’s viability during transport can be challenging, but it makes or breaks the mission’s success.
Viability and Time Sensitivity in Organ Transplants
Transplant surgeons have traditionally maintained organs through cold storage. In this method, organs are placed into a preservation fluid and stored in a cooler at 39 degrees Fahrenheit for transport.
The correct temperature is paramount — organs only need to be cooled to the point where the biological function slows down. Freezing organs may cause irreversible harm and waste these precious gifts. In addition to flushing out blood, preservation solutions contribute toward keeping organs healthy by cooling them and helping protect cells.
Also known as organs’ cold ischemic time, their window of viability specifically refers to the period organs can be kept on ice. These time frames restrict how far organs can travel, and extended cold ischemic times have been linked to higher organ discard rates.
Technology Integration in Organ Transport
The role of technology in organ transplantation is significant, especially in maintaining viability during transport. Perfusion systems, as well as other technological advances, have increased the number of deceased donor organs available for transplant. These technologies have also enabled organs to be transported thousands of miles to reach patients who need them most.
Machine perfusion involves connecting organs to a machine that mimics biological functions. This preservation method is becoming more common due to its ability to expand organs’ window of viability. Machine perfusion may also decrease the rate of ischemic injury, which usually happens during cold storage, and reperfusion injury, which can occur when organs are rewarmed.
Understanding the Role of Air Transport in Organ Transplantation
Transportation also significantly impacts the availability of organs for transplantation. Airplanes and helicopters can cut travel time and allow organs with critical time frames, like the heart, to be transported over long distances.
Flight Logistics and Organ Transplants
Even with organs traveling greater distances and the number of annual transplants continuing to rise, air transport presents obstacles. Organs with a longer window for viability, such as kidneys, are usually shipped via commercial flights. Yet, commercial air treats organs as baggage and is unreliable.
Organs are someone’s hope and a second chance at life — cancellations, delays, missed connections and misplaced organs put this at risk.
When the stakes are this high, reliability is vital. While you may view private jets as a luxury reserved for the elite, surgical teams often fly with on-demand private jet companies to procure and transport organs for transplant. Medical private jet carriers, such as GrandView Transplant, offer much more flexibility and understand the unique needs of transplant teams.
Our highly skilled dispatch team is prepared to handle any transplant flyout challenges, and our crew members are ready to take action with as little as two hours’ notice. From dealing with unpredictable weather and unexpected operating room timing changes to the stability of the donor and recipient issues, we are equipped to provide fast and reliable transport.
Regulatory Compliance for Safety
Due to their urgent nature, transplant flights put pressure on everyone involved — this pressure potentially leads to dangerous flying conditions. Even with the gravity of each flight, safety must come first. Following vigorous safety procedures is nonnegotiable, and there are many regulations and compliance requirements that medical charter companies must comply with.
For example, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) legally requires pilots to rest and states they cannot be left on standby and start their duty day once they are called to come in. Well-rested pilots are better equipped to safely fly passengers, especially late at night or early in the morning when most transplant flying occurs.
GrandView Transplant is an FAA Part 135-certified aircraft operator. We work hand in hand with the FAA to abide by mandatory regulations. Our pilot-to-aircraft ratio enables us to responsibly provide crews that are on standby for 24 hours. We also restrict the number of successive days crews fly at night to promote rest.
Known as an industry leader in aviation safety, we hold various voluntary certifications and accreditations that exceed legal requirements. In addition to maintaining a rigorous safety management system, we are:
- Certified ARGUS Gold.
- Recognized as an IS-BAO Stage 2 Operator.
- Certified WYVERN Wingman PRO (one of only 16 charter operators wordwide to earn this prestigious designation).
- A member of the Air Charter Safety Foundation and the National Air Transportation Association.
Learn More About Our Transportation Services
With over 15 accident-free years of experience, GrandView Transplant is an aviation operator with a company-owned fleet of modern 17 light jets (average age of 5 years old). We specialize in transporting transplant teams with organs, or organs alone, flying these missions anywhere in the U.S. lower Canada, northern Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean from 8 bases nationwide.
As a one-call solution for OPOs and transplant centers, you can trust us to prioritize the safety of your transplant teams and lifesaving resources. Contact us at charters@flygv.com or 1-800-915-7190 to learn more about our transport services.