Current status of transplantation in Brazil

Abstract

In 1964, kidney transplantation began in Brazil and, in 1968, heart, liver, intestine and pancreas transplantations were performed. Like elsewhere in the world, the disappointing results led to suspension of the transplant programs in the early 1970s, for all organs except kidneys. Subsequently, the programs for heart (1984), liver (1985) and pancreas transplantation (1987) were reactivated and an early lung transplantation program was instituted in Brazil (1989). The first, in which demand and allocation of organs was the responsibility of the transplantation centers, with no control from the Ministry of Health or other government bodies, extended from 1964 to 1987. The first organizations were the Immunogenetics and Organ Transplantation Program (PITO) in Rio de Janeiro, 3 the So Paulo Interior Transplantation (SPIT) system 4 and the Rio Grande do Sul Transplant Coordination service (RS-Tx). The Constitution of 1988 prohibited the sale of organs, and this was regulated by the transplantation law of 1992. In the same year, the Ministry of Health created the Integrated System for High Complexity Procedures (SIPAC), for kidney, liver, heart, lung and bone marrow transplantation. This established quality control mechanisms for transplant centers, accreditation for regulated transplantation services and set the amounts to be paid for these procedures.