The controlled circulatory death (DCD) organ donation programme, which uses cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) equipment, is becoming more common in the province of Alicante. In the previous year, there have been 27 transfers to different institutions. This method makes it possible to donate organs when a patient’s circulatory system has stopped working permanently and they have agreed to stop life support. This method led to seven occasions where the heart was also taken out. In every case, the cardiac transplant team at La Fe facility did this. La Fe Hospital is the only facility in the Valencian Community that does heart transplants and is a world leader in this practice.
The general university hospitals of Alicante and Elche are the main transplant centres in the province. In 2025, the Dr. Balmis Hospital in Alicante did 220 transplants. Of these, 29 were liver transplants, 75 were kidney transplants, 32 were autologous haematology transplants (bone marrow), and 84 were cornea transplants. The Sant Joan Hospital is the best in donating organs, and the Alicante Hospital is the best at transplanting them.
Eight out of 10 relatives of patients who could contribute agreed to do so.
This activity is made even better by the fact that 151 bone and tendon fragments and two heart valves were bought. This means that ten times as many patients benefit from organ and tissue donation in some way.
Lives
Francisco Soriano, the health area manager, thanked “the effort and dedication of all the professionals who make this activity possible, with results that make the Doctor Balmis Hospital a leading centre for transplants.” There are people behind each of these numbers, and countless lives that have been able to go on because highly devoted teams worked together.
Dr. Miguel Perdiguero, the head of the Donation and Transplantation Service, said thank you again and stressed that “the kidney and liver transplant teams did seven kidney and seven liver transplants in December (which is a lot for that time of year), which shows how dedicated and committed they are.”
In 2025, the Alicante centre had 31 donors, 27 of whom were dead and four of whom were still alive. This is a little less than in previous years. But it’s important to note that eight out of 10 families approved to the donation.
We have started employing hypothermic renal perfusion monitoring to help kidneys get better after managed asystole.
14% higher
There have been 154 solid organ transplants (liver and kidney) in the province of Alicante, which is 14% more than last year.
Also, the province has done a record 125 kidney transplants, 50 of which were done at the Elche University General Hospital. “We have worked together on this project at both institutions, always looking for the best alternative for each donor and recipient. Dr. Perdiguero said, “We have also started using hypothermic renal perfusion monitors to help the kidneys of patients who have had controlled circulatory death.”
Knowledge
Additionally, Marian Miralles, the Transplant Nursing Coordinator at the Alicante centre, says, “Last year we started the “Named Mariola” awareness effort in schools and institutes at Doctor Balmis Hospital. The goal of this project is to teach young people, who are the future of our society, about the donation and transplantation procedure through activities that involve them and role-playing.
Lastly, the Transplant Coordination team wanted to say “thank you very much” to the donors and their families, because none of the above statistics would be possible without their help. Also, thanks to all the professionals who help the healthcare teams do their jobs, such as social workers, police, airport staff, forensic experts, judges, emergency services, and so on. Without a doubt, donation and transplantation are the best examples of teamwork in society. The Valencian Community and Spain are leaders in this sector around the world.
Author: Derek Appleton
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