[Potential benefits of living donor kidney transplantation]

Living donor kidney transplantation is the best therapeutic option for endstage renal failure. In spite of being an underused option in our country, it acquires an important role reducing the waiting lists for transplantation because cadaver donation is not enough. Living donor kidney transplantation offers multiple advantages when compared with cadaver donor transplantation: longer graft and patient survival on the short, mid and long-term; the fact that a scheduled procedure allows us to optimize donor and receptor's conditions; and ischemia time between nephrectomy and transplantation can be shortened to a minimum. A good initial function without need of dialysis (up to 90%) and lower incidence of rejection, which diminishes the need of antirejection drugs, should also be emphasized.