American Society of Transplantation Meeting Introduces Transplant Community
to LYFT
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 13-16, 2008, the American Society of Transplantation (AST) will host its 12th Annual Winter Symposium in Palm Springs, Calif. The meeting, which will focus on the key issues facing high-risk recipients and the issues related to using high-risk donors, will open with a discussion of the proposed organ allocation system Life Years from Transplant (LYFT). Presenting the components and potential impact of this proposed system will be national experts Alan Leichtman, MD, and Gabriel Danovitch, MD. This outstanding scientific meeting will be hosted in one of the nation's most luxurious vacation destinations, Ranchos Las Palmas Resort & Spa.
Introduction to LYFT
LYFT, a new organ allocation policy under consideration by UNOS, identifies the difference between a transplant candidate's estimated survival with a transplant compared to their estimated survival on the waiting list without a transplant. It is calculated based on several candidate-specific factors, including age, diabetes status, BMI, albumin, degree of sensitization (PRA), and degree of HLA mismatch with a potential donor. The goal of this new system is to provide the most kidneys possible to those who will benefit most. There are many issues to consider related to this novel approach to allocation. Physicians who attend this session will gain a better understanding of the system so, if it is put in place, they can work with it to improve patients' outcomes.
Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and to engage two national authorities on organ allocation in discussions regarding the impact and benefits of the proposed system.
The Overall Program
The AST 2008 Winter Symposium has been designed to address innovative research and development on a broad range of topics. The agenda will appeal to transplant professionals in a wide array of specialties with topics such as: Trials, Tribulations and Real Issues of Managing Wait Lists, Managing the Pediatric Recipient, Desensitization -- The Latest, New Methods to Monitor Immunity, Managing the High-Risk Donor, Risks and Ethics in Transplantation, Immunity in Non-renal Transplants, and so much more! The scientific program will consolidate the transplant community's experience and outline future challenges to management consensus.
The Symposium will highlight information that will allow the transplant community to understand current outcomes in solid organ transplantation relative to prior decades, to understand proposed new allocation rules in the United States, to recognize the ethical issues of transplantation in the current decade, and to formulate strategies to manage waiting lists, high-risk recipients and outcomes using high-risk donors.
Accreditation
AST is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians and offers AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)(TM). Continuing education units for nurses and transplant coordinators are also available for this program.
To register or to receive more information, go to http://www.a-s-t.org.
SOURCE American Society of Transplantation Copyright©2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved |