title: [Living kidney transplantation. A comparison of Scandinavian countries and Germany].
abstract: The discussion of compensating for shortages of cadaveric donation with increased living donation often reveals differences between the Scandinavian countries and Germany. Possible adoption of Scandinavian structures to improve the rate of living donations in Germany warrants analysis of the actual differences between these two regions. Close examination reveals that significantly higher rates of living donation are achieved only in Sweden and Norway. In Norway, a frequently postulated negative effect on cadaveric donation due to very high rates of living donation could not be confirmed. In contrast to Germany and as a consequence of Norwegian geography, kidney transplantation has been regarded in Norway as the first-line therapy for endstage renal disease for more than 35 years. Living donation has since been actively pursued and is traditionally the transplantation of first choice. In Germany, living donation is still regarded as the second choice after cadaveric donation, due to legal regulations. Significant improvements in living donation frequencies could be achieved there by adopting the active Norwegian approach to living donor identification.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Viszeral- und Transplantationschirurgie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover. lueck.rainer@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lück
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schrem
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neipp
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nashan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klempnauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005858:Germany; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*