Minimally invasive autopsy by using postmortem endoluminal and transluminal endoscopy and EUS.

Background: Virtual autopsy by using CT imaging has been introduced as an alternative to conventional autopsy and has resulted in an increase in acceptance of autopsy by relatives. Because direct inspection and tissue acquisition is not possible by imaging alone, various endoscopic techniques can be considered of complementary usefulness.

Objectives: We present the first series of sequential endoscopic techniques including natural orifice transluminal access for minimally invasive autopsy.

Practical experience in post-mortem tissue donation in consideration of the European tissue law.

In consequence of the European guidelines of safety and quality standards for the donation, retrieval, storing and distribution of human tissues and cells the purpose of tissue transplantation was implemented into German legislation in May 2007. The law came into effect on August 1st 2007 considering of the European rules. The Institutes for Legal Medicine of the University of Frankfurt/Main and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf developed a model for tissue retrieval.

Post-mortem tissue donation at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Hamburg: talking to the next of kin guidelines and first experiences.

While building up a tissue donation program at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Hamburg we had to organize the contact to the deceased's close relatives and to develop guidelines for an appropriate approach. Loosing a family member may cause intense psychological reactions as an Acute Stress Disorder (ICD-10F43.0).

The role of an organ exchange organization in increasing split-liver transplantation.

Eurotransplant introduced a new allocation policy in January 2003 to increase the number of liver transplants by offering centers an incentive to split deceased donor livers for 2 recipients. Centers were granted the option of choosing a suitable recipient for the second portion of the split liver from their own waiting list and, to increase the awareness for liver splitting, centers were asked by the Eurotransplant duty officer whether they would consider splitting whenever a liver that met the 50/50 rule (donor age <50 and weight >50 kg) was available. During the first year after implementing this policy, split-liver transplants increased by 67% and again by 10% during the second year (a total of 288 transplants in the 2-year period).

[Development of a modified bypass system for bridging the anhepatic phase in orthotopic liver transplantation].

The tube-system of the biopump equipment (Bio-medicus, Minnesota/USA) is an essential part of the veno-venous bypass during liver-grafting. In this system turbulences of the blood flow have be avoided because of the unability of heparinization. Any conjunctions parts of the system are areas of potential flow-changes.