[Use of related live donors in renal transplantation]

Collecting pertinent information is first step in assessing the use of living-related kidneys for transplantation. Current bioethics legislation in France limits kidney donation to first-degree family members and spouses in emergency situations. Severe penalties are inflicted for use of other donors or sale of organs. Further valuable information can be obtained from reports in the literature on complications in donors and on the advantages of living donor organs. The proportion of live donors in France is small (3.5% from 1984 through 1993) indicating that transplantation teams prefer cadaver organs except in pediatric cases. The proportion of live donor organs transplanted in northern Europe and North America is much higher. A quick survey of French teams show that opinions and practices vary. Questions still under debate include how to guarantee freedom to refuse or accept, a freedom directly related to correct information. Several propositions have been made in an attempt to harmonize management. First, an information sheet could be distributed during the early discussions, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of live organ donation. A list of complementary examinations could also be established to identify possible contraindications for nephrectomy and define exclusion criteria. A similar procedure adopted by all transplantation teams could be based on these propositions presented in the appendix. Potential donors could then benefit from uniform protection.