The Ethics of Organ Donation by Living Donors

Abstract

Interview with Robert Truog and Jeremiah Lowney on the ethics of organ donation by living donors. (08:42)Download Most organs for transplantation come from cadavers, but as these have failed to meet the growing need for organs, attention has turned to organs from living donors. Organ donation by living donors presents a unique ethical dilemma, in that physicians must risk the life of a healthy person to save or improve the life of a patient. Transplantation surgeons have therefore been cautious in tapping this source. As surgical techniques and outcomes have improved, however, this practice has slowly expanded. Today, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), almost half of all kidney donors in the United States . . .