Transplantation registry in Iran.

National registries provide valuable bases for comparisons and aid innovative policies. Iran, with 70 million inhabitants, has a governmentally supported system of organ and tissue procurement and transplantation. By two acts of legislation, first in 1997 regarding governmental rewarding living kidney donation and second in 2000 regarding cadaveric transplantation, this field has had remarkable growth in the last decade, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. Since the beginning of each organ or tissue transplantation activity up to 2006, 21,359 kidneys, 338 livers, 122 hearts, 20 lungs, 7 pancreas, 1898 bone marrows, 28,838 corneas, 1380 heart valves, and 1366 bones were transplanted in our country. Increases in the number of live kidney transplantations are taking place, but cannot keep pace with the increasing number of patients. It is highly recommended that we try to increase cadaveric transplantation in coming years.