The Transplantation Journey: Understanding Organ Donation, Transplantation, and Life After Transplantation
These informative video presentations provide a comprehensive overview of the organ donation and transplantation journey. Healthcare professionals, researchers, and a patient share their knowledge and experiences across a wide range of topics related to each stage of this journey.
About this video series
On this page, you will find a series of videos that together provide a comprehensive overview of the organ donation and transplantation process. Healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients share their knowledge and experiences on topics such as donor registration, matching and screening, transplantation procedures, innovative research, and life after transplantation.
The videos cover different organs, including the heart, lung, liver, and kidney, and highlight both medical and patient perspectives.
All videos are freely available on our YouTube channel and below.
Introductory Course videos
In this video, dr. Olivier Manintveld, Cardiologist and Chair of Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, explains how patients are assessed for heart transplantation. The presentation guides viewers through the screening process, including medical, physical, and psychosocial evaluations, and discusses when transplantation is necessary and feasible. It also addresses potential risks, and short and long term outcomes after transplantation. The video highlights the importance of careful patient selection and multidisciplinary teamwork to achieve the best possible results for heart transplant patients.
In this video, Puck Groen, an organ perfusion and transplant coordinator (OPTC) at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, explains the role of machine perfusion in organ transplantation. The presentation introduces the work of organ perfusionists and gives an overview of how organs such as the kidney, liver, lung, and heart are preserved and assessed using modern perfusion techniques. The video also highlights current challenges in organ donation and shows how machine perfusion helps improve organ quality, increase the number of transplants, and support better outcomes for patients.
In this video, Diederik Kimenai, a consultant transplant surgeon and Clinical Lead of the Kidney Transplantation Program at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, explains living donor kidney and liver transplantation. The presentation provides an overview of how living donor transplantation is performed, including donor safety, surgical techniques, and the benefits for recipients. It highlights why living donor transplants often lead to better outcomes, such as improved graft survival. The video also discusses key medical, ethical, and logistical considerations.
In this video, dr. Caroline den Hoed, consultant hepatologist and Medical Director of the Liver Transplantation program at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, provides an overview of liver transplantation. The presentation explains who may need a liver transplant, how patients are assessed, and how the transplant procedure is performed. She also discusses short and long term complications, the role of immunosuppressive medication, and expected survival outcomes.
In this video, dr. Annelies de Weerd, an internist-nephrologist at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, explains what is involved in donor and recipient matching in solid organ transplantation. The presentation introduces the immunological principles behind transplantation, with a focus on blood group (ABO) compatibility and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system. Viewers learn why matching is essential to prevent rejection, how incompatibilities can sometimes be managed, and how Eurotransplant allocates organs.
In this video, Linda van den Elshout, an organ donation coordinator at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, explains how organ and tissue donation is organised in the Netherlands. The presentation introduces the roles of the Dutch Transplant Foundation (NTS) and Eurotransplant, and explains donor registration and consent. You will learn about donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD), as well as the steps involved in donor assessment, coordination, and organ retrieval.
In this video, Peter van Maurik, a heart transplant recipient, shares his personal experience after heart transplantation in conversation with Joyce van der Linden, a transplant nurse at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute. The discussion focuses on life after a heart transplant, including medication, lifestyle adjustments, physical activity, coping with complications such as infections, and the importance of an active lifestyle.
In this video, dr. Martijn van den Hoogen, a consultant nephrologist and Director of Nephrologists in Training at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, provides an overview of kidney transplantation. He explains the main causes of kidney failure, who may be eligible for a kidney transplant, and how long term outcomes of kidney transplantation compare with dialysis. He also discusses the role of immunosuppressive medication, including benefits and possible side effects such as infections and cardiovascular risks.
In this video, dr. Monique Verstegen, an associate professor at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute introduces laboratory research that supports organ transplantation. The presentation explains how fundamental and translational research helps improve understanding of end stage organ disease, organ preservation, and regeneration. Using liver research as an example, the video highlights innovative techniques such as organoids, machine perfusion, and tissue engineering.
In this video, dr. Roel van Pel, pulmonologist at the Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, provides an overview of lung transplantation. The presentation explains which lung diseases may lead to transplantation, and how patients are assessed and selected. He also discusses surgical techniques, allocation, and possible complications after transplantation.
