GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA

The 13 million people who live in the greater New York metropolitan area is served by the New York Organ Donor Network. The Donor Network is the nation's second largest federally designated, nonprofit organ procurement organization. The agency marks its 30th anniversary in 2008.

(1) ORGAN DONATION IN 2007: A GREATER NEW YORK METRO AREA OVERVIEW 2007

• 2007 set another record for the number of deceased organ donors in the greater New York metropolitan area, albeit by a total of just three more than in 2006. There were 322 deceased organ donors compared with 319 in 2006.



• As a result of increased donation, a total of 786 organs were transplanted in 2007, with 722 patients receiving life-saving organ transplants.



• With a consent rate for organ donation from deceased donors of just 58 percent in the greater New York metropolitan area, it means that slightly less than half of families approached declined to authorize donation.



• Nationwide, the consent rate for organ donation from deceased donors averages 69 percent. [Source: HRSA/ National Breakthrough Collaborative.]

Consider this: at any given time, there are nearly 7,000 people waiting for organ transplants in our region. So the critical need for donors has never been greater.

The most practical way to become a donor is by enrolling in the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, a confidential database administered by the state's department of health. You can enroll online here.

(2) KEY ORGAN DONATION DATA IN 2007 IN THE GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA

DECEASED ORGAN DONORS IN THE GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA: 2003-2007: The number of deceased organ donors was 322 in 2007 - a record. The number rose from 319 in 2006, but that total was as low as 199 in 2001

A Note about the Small Pool of Deceased Organ Donors Each Year

The small pool of potential organ donors nationwide and locally is explained by the fact that the vast majority of organs are recovered from hospital patients who have been declared dead by neurological criteria. Brain deaths account for approximately one to two percent of all deaths of patients in hospitals, making it a relatively rare event.

ORGANS TRANSPLANTED BY ORGAN TYPE FROM DECEASED DONORS IN THE GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA IN 2007:

• The total number of organs recovered from deceased donors in 2007 in the greater New York metropolitan area: 990, six more than in 2006.



• Some of these recovered organs were medically unsuitable for transplant. The total number of organs transplanted in 2007: 786, compared with 816 in 2006. This translates into an average of 2.44 organs per donor in 2007, compared with 2.56 organs per donor in 2006.

DECEASED ORGAN DONORS BY RACE, IN THE GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA IN 2007:

NOTE ABOUT NEW METHODOLOGY OF CAPTURING DATA FOR RACE: Prior to 2007, data was captured in terms of race (primarily, white, black and Asian) and ethnicity (Hispanic and non-Hispanic), whereby black and white numbers included Hispanics as well. From 2007, the race variable was captured differently with Hispanic as a race in itself and no breakdowns in terms of black or white.

CONSENT RATE FOR DECEASED ORGAN DONORS IN THE GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA: 2003-2007

• The consent rate for organ donation from deceased donors in the greater New York metropolitan area was 58 percent in 2007, also a record. The consent rate in the region has shown a steady increase over the past five years, but still lags behind the national consent average of 69 percent.

NUMBER OF CONSENTS FOR ORGAN DONATION IN THE GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA IN 2007: BY AGE OF DONORS

There were 397 families that consented to donation in 2007, although based on medical suitability, there were 322 donors.

DEATHS IN 2007 WHILE WAITING FOR ORGAN TRANSPLANTS:

In the United States in 2007, a total of 6,449 patients died because of the shortage of organ donors. Of these, 429 deaths were in the greater New York metropolitan area.

DATA: UNOS/OPTN and New York Organ Donor Network, subject to change

(3) EYE AND TISSUE DONORS IN THE GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA: 2003-2007

Eye and tissue donors in 2007:

• There were 654 eye and tissue donors in the region in 2007, which fell short of the 689 donors in 2006. This was in part due to fewer patients that were suitable for donation. However, the consent rate rose from 26 in 2006 to 30 percent in 2007.



• Among the 654 tissue donors in 2007



• 450 were musculoskeletal donors, compared with 456 in 2006.



• 432 were eye donors, compared with 465 in 2006.



• 174 donated heart valves, compared to 177 in 2006.



• 140 donated saphenous veins, the same number as in 2006; and 77 donated femoral veins, compared with 69 in 2006.



• 257 were skin donors, compared with 173 in 2006.

RECOVERED EYE AND TISSUE DONORS IN THE GREATER NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA: 2003 - 2007 [FOR WHICH THE NEW YORK ORGAN DONOR NETWORK OBTAINED AUTHORIZATION FROM FAMILIES]

DATA: New York Organ Donor Network, subject to change

NEW YORK STATE

(1) ORGAN DONATION IN 2007: A NEW YORK STATE OVERVIEW

In 2007, there were 1,027 organ donors in New York State. Of these, 468 were deceased organ donors. There were 559 living organ donors.

By comparison, in 2006, there were 1,023 organ donors in New York State, of which 469 were deceased donors and 554 living donors.

(2) KEY ORGAN DONATION IN 2007 IN NEW YORK STATE

TABLE SHOWING THE NUMBER OF DECEASED ORGAN DONORS IN NEW YORK STATE IN 2007, BY ORGAN:

TABLE SHOWING THE NUMBER OF DECEASED ORGAN DONORS IN NEW YORK STATE IN 2007, BY RACE:

DEATHS IN 2007 WHILE WAITING FOR ORGAN TRANSPLANTS:

In the United States in 2007, a total of 6,449 patients died because of the shortage of organ donors. Of these, 535 deaths were in New York State.

DATA: UNOS/OPTN and New York Organ Donor Network, subject to change

UNITED STATES

(1) 2007 UNITED STATES OVERVIEW

Organ donation and transplantation rates decreased slightly in the United States in 2007. Similar to 2006, more than 28,000 organ transplant procedures were performed. The number of deceased organ donors topped 8,000, according to data announced by the HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

(2) KEY ORGAN DONATION DATA IN 2007 IN THE UNITED STATES

NUMBER OF ORGAN DONORS IN 2007 IN THE UNITED STATES - DECEASED AND LIVING DONORS:

• While the 8,087 deceased organ donors in the United States in 2007 represent a negligible increase over the 8,024 deceased donors in 2007, it is worthwhile to point out that the 8,000 "barrier" was only broken for the first time in 2006.



• Looking at in another way, the 8,087 donors in 2007 reflects an increase of 6.5 percent over the 2005 total of 7,593 deceased donors.



• From 2003 to 2007, the annual total of deceased donors has increased 22.6 percent.

DECEASED ORGAN DONORS IN THE UNITED STATES BY RACE IN 2007:

NUMBER OF TRANSPLANTS PERFORMED IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2007 FROM DECEASED AND LIVING DONORS:

During 2007, a total of 28,352 organ transplant surgeries were performed nationwide. This is slightly less than the 28,933 performed in 2006.

Kidney transplants are the most common transplant procedure. During 2007, a record total of 16,622 kidney transplants were performed. This represents a 9.8 percent increase since 2003. There were 6,492 liver transplants during 2007.

ORGANS TRANSPLANTED FROM DECEASED DONORS IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2007:

Of the 2007 surgical procedures, 22,048 transplanted organs came from deceased donors (77.8 percent), and 6,304 transplanted organs were from living donors (22.2 percent).

NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO DIED WHILE WAITING FOR ORGAN TRANSPLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2007:

In the United States in 2007, a total of 6,449 patients died because of the shortage of organ donors. Of these, 4,328 were awaiting kidneys; 1,568 needed livers; 58 pancreas; 315 hearts; 272 lungs, and 37 were waiting for intestines.

DATA: UNOS/OPTN and New York Organ Donor Network, subject to change