Organ procurement in Munich: financial and organizational aspects.

The Transplantation Center at the University of Munich is like all other German centers financially supported by the Insurance Companies via a non-profit organization (Kuratorium für Heimdialyse e.V.). The financial modalities are based on the arrangement that the Insurance Companies pay a certain amount for each transplantation to the non-profit organization. This institution, in cooperation with the University, uses this money to cover all extra expenses arising in the field of organ procurement as well as clinical transplantation (providing additional staff, equipment, etc). This model of a transplant center (ie, cooperation between University and non-University institutions) proved to be successful in the past 9 years. There was a steady increase of donor nephrectomies (200 donor kidneys in 1984) as well as kidney transplantations (171 transplantations in 1984).