Liver And Kidney Donation: The Opportunities And Challenges Of Live Donation
With so many people on transplant waiting lists and so few organs available, the fact that it is possible for a person to donate one of their two kidneys, or even a portion of their liver, to another person in need offers an incredible and life changing opportunity for both the recipient and the living donor. Very often the opportunity to donate will arise when a family member or close friend suffers liver or kidney failure. Even in the case of an altruistic donation, (when someone donates to a stranger) the impulse to donate often comes from seeing a loved one suffer, or indeed recover when they receive a much-needed organ. However, perhaps more impressively, some altruistic donations are now inspired by a simple desire to give something back to the world. Ten years ago the only option for kidney donation was open surgery, but in recent years more and more kidney donations are being carried out through keyhole surgery. This is designed to reduce the trauma and recovery time and s...