How Fast Can Organs Be Transported?

Have you ever wondered what the process is like to transport human organs for a transplant procedure?  Time is of the essence; however, certain organs must be transported faster than others.  Typically, human hearts can survive only 4-6 hours. Surgeons fly in a private jet with a heart preserved in a cooler.  Organs such as pancreases and kidneys last longer so they can be flown via commercial aircraft.  But if the location for transplant is close by, the organs are transported by car.

Most often the organs on a commercial airplane are kidneys and yes, they are often in the cargo area. You may be surprised to know that there are stories of organs getting lost or “misplaced” despite the many people waiting for an organ transplant to save their lives.  Shipping organs in the cargo section means that the organs have to be at the airport for transport two hours before takeoff.  Organs that can be transported commercially usually have a window after they are removed from the donor of about 24 hours.

Another issue is changes in procedure after 9/11 with tighter restrictions for airline transport including organs. Organs used to travel in the cabin instead of the cargo area.  There is legislation pending that would reverse the current law and allow organs back in the cabin.  United Network for Organ Sharing is a nonprofit contracted by the federal government to manage the nation’s transplant system.  To read more about organ transplants and challenges in transporting organs visit:

https://unos.org