The case of the nearly 7k missing pancreases

The issue of unaccounted organ donations, particularly pancreases, has come to light, revealing that nearly 7,000 pancreases removed from deceased donors in the U.S. between 2021 and 2023 were not transplanted. Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs), which are responsible for collecting organs, have been criticized for underutilizing available organs. A 2019 report estimated that tens of thousands of usable organs, including pancreases, are not used each year, despite a national waitlist exceeding 100,000 people. Recent regulatory changes aimed to improve OPO accountability, but a loophole has emerged. OPOs can classify pancreases as "recovered for research," allowing them to inflate their recovery statistics without actually facilitating transplants. The number of pancreases designated for research surged from 513 in 2020 to 3,238 in 2023, while only 24 actual transplants occurred. This discrepancy raises concerns about the allocation of organs and the effectiveness of OPOs. In response to these issues, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has clarified that only pancreases used in legitimate research will count towards OPO performance metrics, potentially leading to better organ utilization in the future.

- Nearly 7,000 pancreases removed from deceased donors in the U.S. went untransplanted from 2021 to 2023.

- OPOs have been criticized for underutilizing organs, with estimates suggesting tens of thousands of usable organs are not used annually.

- A loophole allows OPOs to classify pancreases as "for research," inflating recovery statistics without actual transplants.

- The number of pancreases designated for research increased significantly, while actual transplants remained low.

- CMS has clarified that only pancreases used in legitimate research will count towards OPO performance metrics.