RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to analyze the current system for allocation of deceased donor kidney transplantation in Korea, which includes an incentive regulation for candidates registered at the Hospital-based Organ Procurement Organization (HOPO). METHODS: Between January 2011 and November 2016, there were 2,655 deceased donors in Korea. During the same period, there were 21,247 current candidates and recipients of kidney, pancreas and simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplants. We analyzed data from all of these donors, candidates, and recipients. RESULTS: Mean waiting times for organ allocation of each priority differed significantly (2nd priority group, 1,701±974 days; 3rd priority group, 1,316±927 days; 4th priority group, 2,077±1,207 days). Additionally, HOPO candidates/deceased donor ratios were very different from each other (maximum, 49; minimum, 0.6). The number of deceased donors in region 1, 2, and 3 were 1,623, 429, and 603, respectively, while the number of transplantations in each region was 3,095, 597, and 1,165, respectively. The candidates registered at region 1 HOPO moved the longest distances on average for transplantation, and this value differed significantly different from that of other regions (56.18±91.9 km vs. 24.66±28.0 km vs. 26.20±37.3 km, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The incentive system of current allocation system for deceased donor kidney in Korea does not coincide with the purpose of the ‘Declaration of Istanbul’ and unnecessary social costs have occurred. Therefore, we should make an effort to change our current allocation system to the geographic sequence of organ allocation system.