title: Legal and ethical aspects of organ donation after euthanasia in Belgium and the Netherlands.
abstract: Organ donation after euthanasia has been performed more than 40 times in Belgium and the Netherlands together. Preliminary results of procedures that have been performed until now demonstrate that this leads to good medical results in the recipient of the organs. Several legal aspects could be changed to further facilitate the combination of organ donation and euthanasia. On the ethical side, several controversies remain, giving rise to an ongoing, but necessary and useful debate. Further experiences will clarify whether both procedures should be strictly separated and whether the dead donor rule should be strictly applied. Opinions still differ on whether the patient's physician should address the possibility of organ donation after euthanasia, which laws should be adapted and which preparatory acts should be performed. These and other procedural issues potentially conflict with the patient's request for organ donation or the circumstances in which euthanasia (without subsequent organ donation) traditionally occurs.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands Department of Intensive Care, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bollen
authors.affiliation: Department of Law, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rankie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ten Hoopen
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary, Transplantation and Endocrine Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ysebaert
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Coordinating Intensivist for Donation Affairs, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Walther
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Mook
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Heurn
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011050:Policy Making; D011640:Public Policy; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
keywords: Dead donor rule; Donation/Procurement of Organs/Tissues; End-of-life; Euthanasia; Legal Aspects