Living donor surgery: overview of surgical and anesthesia issues

Organ transplantation occupies the center stage in the treatment of many forms of end-stage organ disease. When the limits of conventional medical care are exhausted, bridging therapies, cadaveric transplantation, and posttransplant medical care come to the fore. Living donor transplantation has grown out of the numerical and immunosuppression limitations of this process. Living donor transplantation medicine and surgery encompass two of the most fascinating and compelling social and ethical dilemmas of modern health care. This article provides an overview of medical and ethical concerns for those who decide to become living donors and those who care for them in the perioperative period.