(476.1) Increased Interest in Anatomical Donation As A Result of Positive Media Coverage

Poster Board Number: C56
Introduction: AAA has separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – 10:15 am – 11:15 am
Even poster #s – 11:15 am – 12:15 pm

Cam Walker (Oregon Health amp; Science University), Tamara Ostervoss (Oregon Health amp; Science University)

A 99-year old female anatomical donor at Oregon Health amp; Science University (OHSU) in 2018 had an unusual anomaly:  Situs inversus (SI) with levocardia [left-facing heart].  Her SI and levocardia went mostly unnoted throughout her long life, despite several surgical interventions and five successful pregnancies.  After consultation with Ms. Ostervoss (director of OHSU’s body donation program), and the donor family, a poster presentation highlighting this donor was prepared and shown at last year’s American Association of Anatomy meeting at Experimental Biology in Orlando, FL, in April 2019 (Walker and Hankin 2019).  Additionally, a press release to coincide with the poster presentation was prepared at OHSU for local media consumption.  The donor’s story was distributed by print, radio, and television, worldwide.

Afterward, the Body Donation Program (BDP) at OHSU then experienced a surge in applications for anatomical donation.  The number far exceeded equivalent applications to be an anatomical donor in past years.  This has had beneficial effects for the BDP, including the ability to more fully support the needs of anatomical education, accommodate requests for tissue used in surgical simulation, residency, and specialized workshop training, and to assist other regional institutions with their need for anatomical donors.  In addition, the raised awareness of a rare condition has led to a series of research opportunities that may have implications for those who have SI.

The benefit to the OHSU BDP of publicizing this unusual case of SI is described in the text, along with the number of consent forms registered with the BDP between 2018-2019.  Between 2014 and 2018, annual preregistration vacillated between 350 and 400 individuals.  However, after the widespread publication of the case of SI with levocardia in 2019, the number of preregistered donors surged to approximately 460 individuals, with the majority of additional registrations taking place after publication of the findings in widely viewed media sources.  The OHSU BDP undertakes other forms of outreach, though none were performed shortly before or after the SI press release in 2019.

After the poster presentation and widespread uptake of the story on media around the world,  Dr. Walker was interviewed by approximately 20 media outlets, including newspapers, online news agencies, radio, and television.  As a result, roughly 40 individuals who have SI with levocardia have come forward to tell their stories, with another 15 individuals who have SI with dextrocardia [right-facing heart].  Collectively, this group, ALL of who have stated their willingness to provide medical records, be further interviewed, and participate in a future genetic study, comprises the largest group of individuals with SI who have been surveyed in the medical literature.