Living kidney donation. Attitudes outside the transplant center

Many transplant centers are opposed to the use of living unrelated kidney donors and donors at added risk. To see how the public and nontransplant physicians view these issues, we surveyed samples of these groups in Rochester, NY. We found that the majority of respondents supports the use of unrelated donors and believes that donors should be allowed to accept added risk. Our findings were confirmed by a Gallup Poll of a random sample of the US adult population. It appears that many transplant centers are out of step with public opinion, as well as that of other members of the medical profession. We hope our data will induce the centers to become more attuned to public attitudes and give donors a greater voice in determining their own suitability. If this occurs, more donors will likely become available and the number of patients with end-stage renal disease receiving transplants will increase.