Disparities in Heart Transplantation Allocation and Outcomes by Blood Type in Korea (2010–2022)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to elucidate the influence of recipient blood type on heart transplant allocation dynamics in Korea, focusing on donor matching, wait times, and post-transplant survival from 2010 to 2022. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we examined 1,745 heart transplant recipients classified by blood types: A (n=631), B (n=488), AB (n=256), and O (n=370). Parameters studied encompassed donor and recipient ages, donor blood type compatibility, organ type, emergency status, waiting periods, and survival rates up to one year post-transplant. RESULTS: This investigation revealed significant disparities in the outcomes for heart transplant waitlist patients, differentiated by blood type. O recipients encountered notably extended median wait times of 110 days (an average of 300±514 days), which is substantially longer compared to A (65 days), B (58 days), and AB (29 days). Furthermore, the mortality rate for O recipients while on the waitlist was markedly high at 78.1%, in contrast to 75.2% for A, 72.3% for B, and 48.5% for AB. O recipients who, despite constituting a significant proportion of the donor pool (34.1%), received transplants at disproportionately lower rates. CONCLUSIONS: Type O heart transplant recipients in Korea face significant challenges, including higher mortality rates during the waiting period and frequent necessity for left ventricular assist device interventions. Urgent policy reforms are needed to address these disparities and improve equitable organ allocation for blood type O patients.
Source: Korean Circulation Journal
Authors: Kyung-Hee Kim, Byoung Geol Choi, Jin-Oh Choi, In-Cheol Kim, Jong-Chan Youn, Yang Hyun Cho, Hae-Young Lee, Sung-Ho Jung, Byung-Hee Oh
Institutions: Sejong General Hospital, Honam University, Korea University Guro Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul National University, Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4409112454