The courses on Medicine, Surgery, Psychological, Deontological Aspects, and Transplant Regulations provide advanced expertise and experience in the clinical management of patients with organ failure or multiple organ failure who are candidates for transplantation or are on the waiting list. They offer essential information for independently determining the optimal therapeutic approach for complex patients, both pre- and post-transplant; propose the design of diagnostic-therapeutic pathways for patients; and contribute to enhancing the knowledge necessary for the proper management of the diagnostic-therapeutic process, in collaboration with the involved multidisciplinary team.
Study modules
The general medical management of transplant recipients and potential donors encompasses both pharmacological and psychological considerations. Post-transplant, patients require lifelong immunosuppressive therapy to prevent graft rejection; however, these medications can lead to adverse effects such as nephrotoxicity and increased infection risk. Psychologically, transplant recipients are at heightened risk for psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, which can adversely affect quality of life and increase the likelihood of graft rejection. Therefore, comprehensive pre- and post-transplant psychosocial assessments are crucial to identify and address these issues, ensuring better adherence to treatment and improved long-term outcomes.
Organ transplantation from both living and deceased donors encompasses complex psychological, ethical, moral, and legal considerations. Psychologically, donors may experience anxiety or fear, requiring thorough counseling to ensure informed consent. Ethically, issues such as autonomy and potential coercion, especially among living related donors, must be addressed to prevent undue influence. Legally, frameworks governing consent processes vary globally, with some countries adopting opt-out systems to increase donor pools. Public awareness campaigns are vital to educate communities, dispel myths, and promote voluntary organ donation, thereby enhancing transplant success rates and saving lives.
Living donor transplant is the most suitable procedure for the treatment of kidney and liver failure. Today, it is possible to remove and transplant from a living donor only the kidney and liver, in some cases also the lung lobes for the treatment of serious respiratory diseases. In these cases, the donor is a healthy individual, a family member of the patient, who is carefully studied to verify his or her complete suitability for donation
Deceased donor organ transplantation represents a milestone in modern surgery, offering hope to many patients suffering from end-stage organ failure. This course examines the fundamental surgical aspects associated with deceased donor transplants, as well as long-term implications and follow-up strategies.
The course in post-transplant management involves addressing various complications, including surgical problems such as bleeding and infection, and immunological challenges such as acute and chronic rejection.
Immunosuppressive therapies, while essential to prevent rejection, increase susceptibility to infections and malignancies such as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD).
Drugs such as mycophenolate mofetil are commonly used, although they carry risks such as leukopenia and gastrointestinal disorders, and new drugs are being tested.
A comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach is critical to optimize patient outcomes and long-term graft survival.
Professors
Prof. Roberto Taroni
University Professor of Clinical Sector; Psychologist, Sociologist and Clinical Hypnologist. Head of Higher Education Courses UNIDOLOMITI
Dr. Nicola Pradegan
Cardiac Surgeon, Cardiac Surgery Unit, Heart Transplant and MCS Program, Padua University Hospital
Prof. Diego Ponzin
Medical Director – The Veneto Eye Bank Foundation, Venice (IT)
Prof. Amedeo Carraro
Head Liver Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery and Oncology, Verona University Hospital, Italy, ESOT Counselor
Dr.ssa Chiara Tessari
Cardiac Surgeon, Cardiac Surgery Unit, Heart Transplant and MCS Program, Padova University Hospital
Prof. Marco Schiavon
Thoracic Surgery, Department of cardiac, thoracic, vascular sciences and public health, University of Padua
Dr.ssa Sara Spoletini
Sociologist Asi central deputation
Prof. Duilio Pagano
Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Attending Surgeon, Department for the Treatment and the Study of Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Transplantation IRCCS-ISMETT, UPMC Italy
Avv. Bianca Fiorenzano
Lawyer registered in the special register of Cassation Lawyers. The firm mainly deals with issues relating to civil and criminal liability in the healthcare sector with specialization in the healthcare sector, Medical Management
Prof.ssa Federica Meloni
Department of Cardio -Thoracic-Vascular Sciences and Public Health University of Padua
Dr. Emanuele Balzano
Attending Surgeon, Liver Transplant and HBP Surgery Unit – Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana – Pisa (Italy)
