A nondirected kidney donation and its consequences: personal experience of a transplant surgeon

Until 1996, living kidney donation had been neglected in Germany. To encourage potential donors and to convince them that nephrectomy is not too risky for a healthy person, the author decided to set an example with a personal nondirected donation. This donation, controversially discussed in the public domain, nevertheless succeeded in raising the percentage of living donors in Germany from 4% to 20% of renal transplants. In 1997, the new German Transplant Act prohibited nondirected donation. With the aim of allowing nondirected donation as an act of Christian charity, a plaint had been submitted to the Constitutional Court against that law on the basis that it violated several fundamental rights, but it was dismissed because of strong medical opposition. The author experienced some unpleasant professional consequences of his act but, nevertheless, is convinced that he had taken the right step when deciding to give a kidney to a stranger.