Allocation of donor tissue
The Dutch Transplant Foundation (NTS) is responsible for the careful, fair, and transparent allocation of donor tissues. Together with doctors, tissue banks, working groups, and advisory committees, we ensure that donor tissues are properly matched with patients.
Who manages the waiting lists?
The Dutch Transplant Foundation (NTS) manages the waiting lists for corneas with HLA typing and heart valves. Doctors can submit requests for these tissues to the NTS. For eye tissue without HLA typing, as well as bone and skin tissue, doctors apply directly to a tissue bank. Any waiting list is managed by the bank itself.
Who assigns donor tissues?
The NTS allocation officer assesses whether suitable tissue is available and handles the assignment. This process considers medical suitability, urgency, logistics, and waiting times.
For corneas without HLA typing, as well as bone and skin tissue, doctors apply directly to a tissue bank. Any waiting list is managed by the bank itself.
What are the field standards and allocation rules?
The NTS is responsible for establishing and applying allocation rules for donor tissue subject to mandatory allocation. To draft field standards and allocation rules, the NTS works closely with national advisory committees:
- Cornea Committee: This committee acts as an advisory body for the (allocation) policy regarding corneal transplants.
- Heart Valve Committee: This committee advises on the allocation policy for heart valves, patches, and blood vessels. The committee consists of four professors of thoracic surgery and representatives from the heart valve bank and the NTS (observers/advisors).
The advisory committees periodically evaluate the field standards and allocation rules and provide substantive advice on updates.
Cooperation with other countries
Sometimes there is more tissue available in the Netherlands than there are requests from patients in the Netherlands. If tissues are stored for too long, they can no longer be used. Therefore, doctors abroad can also request tissues. And vice versa: the Netherlands also receives tissues from foreign tissue banks. This is how we prevent the waste of precious tissue. Tissue is only provided to other countries if there is enough available for patients in the Netherlands.
Patient information
Do you work with patients on the waiting list? Then also view the patient information for a practical explanation of waiting times, the type of tissue, and the procedure.