Public attitudes toward vascularized composite allograft donation: a literature review

Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) is the transplantation of anatomical or functional structures composed of multiple types of tissues. The technical advancement of solid organ transplantation and replantation instigated the development of the skills required for successful VCA several years ago; however, the recent advancements in immunosuppression therapy have renewed the interest in this field. As VCAs are primarily life-enhancing procedures, the perception and attitudes of the general public (i.e. potential donors and candidates) and the health care professionals is extremely relevant in terms of health policy and funding decision allocations, availability of donor tissue and ethical and legal implications. In this article, we review the current evidence to assess the sociocultural and demographic factors that influence the growth and success of VCA procedures.