Transplant Research and Risk Management (Sep 2019)
Public attitudes toward vascularized composite allograft donation: a literature review
Abstract
Manraj Kaur1, Achilleas Thoma2 1School of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; 2Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaCorrespondence: Manraj KaurSchool of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 3N27 – 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, CanadaTel +1 905 525 9140 ext 26410Email [email protected]: Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) is the transplantation of anatomical or functional structures composed of multiple types of tissues. The technical advancement of solid organ transplantation and replantation instigated the development of the skills required for successful VCA several years ago; however, the recent advancements in immunosuppression therapy have renewed the interest in this field. As VCAs are primarily life-enhancing procedures, the perception and attitudes of the general public (i.e. potential donors and candidates) and the health care professionals is extremely relevant in terms of health policy and funding decision allocations, availability of donor tissue and ethical and legal implications. In this article, we review the current evidence to assess the sociocultural and demographic factors that influence the growth and success of VCA procedures.Keywords: alotransplantation, public attitudes, vascularized composite allograft, reconstruction, hand transplant, facial transplant
