The process of organ donation and retreat is complex and involves a high cost for hospitals that do it.PURPOSE: to survey the expenses with the process of donation and retreat of organs.METHODS: retrospective study based on medical records of 32 donors, admitted in the Search Organs Organisation do Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia, during the period from January to December of 1999.RESULTS: the process is complex and involves a special structure as well as 24 hours of activities, making it costly. Expenses were related with the following items: human resources, permanent material, public utilities, complementary examinations, depreciation of equipment and transportation. A comparison with the values reimbursed by the Single Health System (SUS) followed.CONCLUSION: the total cost was high than the reimbursement provided by SUS, showing the necessity of research about cost of procedures and the reinvestment margin.
Organ donors; Transplantation; Costs of procedures
