News

Dec 15, 2025, 15:37 PM by ASTS

 

The American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) thanks the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions and witnesses for their time today in the hearing entitled: Examining the Future of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Two ASTS members, Drs. John Magee and Seth Karp, participated in the hearing and provided testimony on a myriad of important topics within the field. ASTS agrees with the testimony about the importance of the following:

• The public-private partnership, a collaborative effort between the government and the transplant community that is critical to advancing the field, must be protected. Transplant community stakeholders including transplant centers, organ procurement organizations, medical societies, patients and other key stakeholders are focused on access to transplantation, innovation, accountability, and oversight. Transplant surgeons are engaged in every aspect of transplantation and bring immense value to the table and need to be involved in policymaking.
• Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) is a clinical decision made independently from organ donation and organ procurement teams. It applies to patients and their families who have agreed to withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment that typically leads to irreversible loss of circulatory and respiratory function. DCD honors a family's wish to pursue organ donation and helps to meet the overwhelming need for organs and shorten transplant waiting times.
• Transparency and communication are vital to the organizations leading the field and the patients and families who benefit from this life-saving care. These key features are critical to building public trust and overcoming misinformation.
• Access to data should be easy and effective, as it will continue to propel the field forward and only benefit future patients and donors.