Empowered Patient Podcast

Tina Liedtky, President of Transplant Diagnostics at Thermo Fisher Scientific, identifies the significant challenges in the US organ transplant system that must be addressed to meet the demand for organs.  Patient access to transplant care is hindered by geography, the need to match donors and recipients, and the threat of organ rejection. Living donations, particularly of kidneys and livers, are a solution to address the organ shortage, as organs from living donors often lead to better outcomes and can be scheduled to avoid damage caused by organ transportation. Tina explains, "So first of all, I would say that organ transplantation saves thousands of lives a year and gives patients with end-stage organ disease the ability to extend their lives meaningfully for many years. However, the organ transplant system in the US is not perfect, and it faces several real challenges. The most pressing challenge is a persistent imbalance between organ supply and demand, in that far more patients are in need of a lifesav