Are living donors ethical? Kidneys used in transplants come from two sources, de

Question

Are living donors ethical?

Kidneys used in transplants come from two sources, deceased donors and living donors. Because people have two kidneys, a living person can donate a kidney to someone in renal failure if the tissue types match and then go on to live a normal life with a single kidney. With a living donation comes a higher risk for future renal failure, high blood pressure, proteinuria, etc. and the risk associated with the surgery itself. Do you think it is ethical for doctors to allow living kidney donations? Why or why not? Should the same rules apply to everyone? What if the person doing the donation is responsible for the financial well-being of his/her entire family? What if the person who is doing the living donation feels social pressure to donate? Should it be legal to pay for living donations? Why or why not? You must answer these questions in one initial post and then comment on at least two other posts.

http://www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingDonors/pdf/safe_to_donate.pdf

http://www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/transplant/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1592395/

Explanation / Answer

Yes, it is ethical for doctors to allow kidney transplant from a living donor as long as there is a full disclosure of information and complete agreement from both parties, and there is no indications of foul play. This is because saving a life is paramount, as long as the other ethical factors fall into order. However, doctors have the obligation to explain every part of the process, including the risks of surgical failure, before consent is taken, and the donor should be free to back out at any point of time, for any reason. Living kidney donations should only be taken as a last resort kind of way. It would be foul play to provide a financial incentive for an organ donation as it is unethical and unscrupulous, but if the donor runs into medical troubles due to the donation, the receiver should provide assistance if he is financially able to.

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