The living donor in renal transplantation

During the period 1965-1980, 214 living donor nephrectomies were performed with no mortality and a major complication rate of 2.3 per cent, however, with no permanent sequelae. Longterm psychosocial problems followed five otherwise noneventful nephrectomies. An active, although not aggressive donor recruitment policy is followed. Healthy parents and siblings with HLA-identity or one-haplotype identity are accepted. Maximal efforts are made to provide optimal psychological perioperative and surgical care. Careful postoperative follow-up is pursued. A retroperitoneal approach through a subcostal transverse abdominal incision is employed, the right kidney being preferred. The low immediate and late complication rates paired with superior results of LRD transplantations, justify the continued use of volunteering relatives as kidney donors.