Kidney Donation: Reflections

Spital, Aaron; Spital, Max

doi:10.1159/000167430

Cited by 14 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The living donor is the preferred source of kidney transplant (1, 24), with a high degree (up to 90%) of willingness to donate organs to a family member (25). The general opinion within the health care system is that it is ethically justified to allow the informed, competent, and medically suitable donor at small risk to make his own decision to donate (26, 27). A recent assessment of the general public's concerns about clinical risk and problems associated with live kidney donation indicates that, although the medical risk is small, other concerns such as hospital stay, time requiring pain medication, compensated and uncompensated time from work, as well as out‐of‐pocket expenses dominate (2).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remaining experiences of living kidney donors more than 3 yr after early recipient graft loss

Haljamäe

Nyberg

Sjöström

2003

Clinical Transplantation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Living kidney donor programs, based on willingness among family members and close relatives to donate, have made it possible to perform a satisfactory number of kidney transplantations. Early graft loss in the recipient may occur and it is not known if such an event will result mainly in acute, rather transient, emotional reactions or if long-lasting reactions may be evoked in the living kidney donor. The aim of the present study was to assess and describe the remaining experiences of donors (n = 10) more than 3 yr after early recipient graft loss or death of the recipient. A phenomenographic, interview-based research approach was used. Five different fields or domains were identified: (i) the decision to donate; (ii) the information provided; (iii) care received at the time of donation; (iv) responses at graft failure; and (v) concerns remaining at the time of the interview. All donors expressed that they had volunteered to donate and that no stress had been put on them. The information given prior to and in connection with the donation procedure was deemed insufficient but all donors were satisfied with the medical care provided in connection with the nephrectomy and in the immediate post-operative period. Graft failure was immediately accepted on the intellectual level by nine of 10 donors but still evoked emotional reactions and responses included a wish that continuing contact with the transplant staff had been provided. The present interview-based study shows that it is of importance that the donor is thoroughly informed about all donor as well as recipient-related factors including the potential risk of recipient graft failure. In case of graft failure, or the death of the recipient, the transplant unit staff members should offer contact for discussions of medical matters as well as for psychosocial support. In individual cases it may be necessary to maintain such a supportive contact channel for a prolonged period of time.

show abstract