Abdominal organ procurement is a high-stakes operation that blends anatomy, speed, and coordinated teamwork. In this Behind the Knife episode, the UNMC transplant team walks through the practical “how-to” of deceased donor abdominal recovery—covering OR roles and logistics, key anatomic maneuvers, cannulation/flush troubleshooting, and the workflow differences that matter most between donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD).
Hosts
Madeline Cloonan, MD PhD – General Surgery Resident, University of Nebraska Medical Center (@maddie_cloonan)
Evelyn Waugh, MD – Transplant Surgery Fellow, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Jacqueline Dauch, MD – Abdominal Transplant Surgeon, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Alex Maskin, MD – Kidney & Pancreas Transplant Surgeon, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Learning Objectives
Identify key OR roles and the ethical/legal separation of death declaration from procurement teams.