Ethical tensions in solid organ transplantation: the price of success

World J Gastroenterol. 2006 May 28;12(20):3259-64. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i20.3259.

Abstract

Solid organ transplantation has rapidly developed into the therapy a choice for end-stage organ failure. The expansion of its use has resulted is a large deficiency in organ supply. To address this, the field of organ transplantation has attempted to develop new strategies that would increase the availability of organs for transplant. Some of these strategies include expansion of the donor pool by increasing the number of living donors or using deceased donor organs that may be marginal or "expanded". The intent is to bring life-saving therapy to individuals in need; however, much of this expansion has been brought forward without clear prospective guidelines. This article focuses on the current disparity between organ supply and demand, and how this has impacted the use of living donors and development of the "expanded donor" concept.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain Death
  • Heart Arrest
  • Humans
  • Kidney Transplantation / ethics
  • Kidney Transplantation / statistics & numerical data
  • Liver Transplantation / ethics
  • Liver Transplantation / statistics & numerical data
  • Living Donors / ethics
  • Living Donors / statistics & numerical data
  • Organ Transplantation / ethics*
  • Organ Transplantation / statistics & numerical data
  • Tissue Donors / ethics
  • Tissue Donors / statistics & numerical data
  • Tissue Donors / supply & distribution*
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement / ethics*
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement / statistics & numerical data