title: Living donor nephrectomy--quantifying the risk for the donor.
abstract: Living kidney donation is on the rise, either due to cultural or ethical reasons or due to a lack of deceased donor kidneys. For adequately counseling of a potential living kidney donor, medical professionals must know not only the immediate risks of kidney donation but also possible long-term effects of kidney donation on the donor's physical and psychological well-being. This also includes a range of aspects such as quality of life, insurance issues, and family planning following kidney donation. This review article is based on a Medline and PubMed search and elucidates the risks living kidney donors face with regard to all aspects just mentioned. Living kidney donation does not end with the operative procedure--long-term cost-free physical and psychological follow-up should be offered to each donor for the gift he or she is willing to give to the recipient.
authors: Department of Urology, Heinrich Heine University Hospital, Duesseldorf, Germany. markus.giessing@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Giessing
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome