title: Altruistic living donors: evaluation for nondirected kidney or liver donation.
abstract: A program was established within our regional procurement organization to permit evaluation of altruistic living donors (LD) interested in nondirected kidney or liver segment donation prior to transplant center referral. During the initial 30 months of program operations, 731 donor inquiries were received of which 131 individuals called back after review of mailed information materials. Forty-seven candidates initiated and 19 completed the evaluation process. Seven underwent donation to include six kidneys and one liver segment, five are actively pending donation, five were excluded from donation following transplant center evaluation and two took no further action after their intended liver recipients received deceased donor (DD) transplants. Psychological evaluation of these 19 candidates found them to be free of psychopathology, highly cooperative and self-directed. They did not exhibit attention-seeking or religious motivations for their actions. All seven donors and recipients continue to do well postoperatively. This evaluation program has made possible large-scale screening and education of prospective altruistic LD within the general population and also provides a unique opportunity to further our understanding of those individuals interested in living-nondirected donation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Abdominal Transplant, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8109, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. jendrisakm@wustl.edu
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Jendrisak
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shenoy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lowell
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vijayan
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Wetzel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brockmeier
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kappel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000533:Altruism; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000941:ethics*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000941:ethics*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000941:ethics*