New air routes are vital for organ transplants

Date:
August 23, 2021
Source:
University of Texas at Dallas
Summary:
Research suggests that introducing new airline routes reduces
the discard rate of donated kidneys and increases the number of
kidneys sent to transplant centers across the U.S.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
Each year nearly 5,000 patients die while waiting for kidney transplants,
and yet an estimated 3,500 procured kidneys are discarded.


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In a recent study published online July 9 in the INFORMS journal
Management Science, a researcher from The University of Texas at Dallas investigated how introducing new airline routes impacts the sharing of cadaveric kidneys.

"This mismatch between supply and demand of donor organs and the
time-sensitive nature of kidney transplantation made us wonder whether
better airline logistics infrastructure could help match that supply
and demand," said Dr.

Guihua Wang, assistant professor of operations management in the Naveen
Jindal School of Management and the study's lead author.

Wang and co-authors Dr. Ronghuo Zheng of UT Austin and Dr. Tinglong Dai
of Johns Hopkins University created a unique sample that tracked both
the evolution of airline routes connecting all U.S. airports, and kidney transplants between donors and recipients connected by these airports.

To do this, the researchers merged monthly air-carrier traffic information
from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics and individual-level
data for all U.S. kidney transplant candidates, donors and recipients
from the United Network for Organ Sharing.

The study estimates that each new airline route led to a 7.3% increase
in the number of kidneys sent to transplant centers across the U.S. The findings also suggest that introducing a new airline route reduces the
discard rate of kidneys by facilitating kidney sharing.



==========================================================================
"An increase in the organ transplant rate, coupled with a decrease in the
organ discard rate, means a better use of organs that would otherwise
be discarded," Wang said. "These findings suggest the introduction of
new airline routes facilitates the sharing of organs across different
regions and, therefore, helps match supply and demand." One aspect of
organ allocation policy is that it prioritizes proximity from the donor,
due to the time-sensitive nature of transplantation. Most kidneys from
deceased individuals are allocated to local recipients, and direct
flights are ideal for long-distance sharing.

The U.S. organ transplant system has 11 geographic regions and operates
as a collection of 58 donation service areas. Each area is managed by an
organ procurement organization that evaluates, procures and places organs.

Wang said that although numerous policy initiatives are aimed at
broadening organ pooling, they rarely account for the issue of efficient airline transportation. Without direct flights, transplant centers may
be reluctant to accept kidney offers from farther locations.

Because regions differ in their organ supply and demand, the waiting
time for transplants depends on location. For example, the average wait
time for a kidney transplant in San Antonio, Texas, is approximately
five years. In Memphis, Tennessee, it is about six months.



==========================================================================
The researchers also found the increase in the number of kidneys sent
between pairs of airports did not decrease the number of kidneys sent elsewhere. The findings also suggest that the overall quality of the
kidneys did not decline with the increased number of routes, based on
three- and five-year post- transplantation survival rates.

"An important takeaway from this study is that better
transportation infrastructure facilitates broader organ sharing," Wang
said. "Policymakers must consider airline connectivity between different regions, not just their distances, when designing new organ-sharing
policies." In addition to highlighting logistical issues and contributing
to a better understanding of the U.S. organ transplantation system,
the study offers potential solutions for improving access to the
system. For example, the researchers suggest the establishment of a
national transportation system that initiates and tracks organ shipments through commercial airlines.

Wang said the study also has implications for future public-health
crises. For example, the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic
Security (CARES) Act, a $2.2 trillion economic package passed in response
to the COVID-19 pandemic, mandates that each airline company receiving
federal funding meets minimum required route service levels.

"In a future pandemic, our paper provides an important empirical
basis for policymakers to justify the mandates of maintaining minimum
required route service levels despite low passenger demand," Wang
said. "Also, policymakers can consider potential health impacts as
they decide minimum service levels for different types of flight routes." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_Texas_at_Dallas. Original written by Brittany
Magelssen. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Guihua Wang, Ronghuo Zheng, Tinglong Dai. Does Transportation Mean
Transplantation? Impact of New Airline Routes on Sharing
of Cadaveric Kidneys. Management Science, 2021; DOI:
10.1287/mnsc.2021.4103 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210823125708.htm

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