Making an offer you can’t refuse? A challenge of altruistic donation

[Clark]

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1432-2277.2011.01367.x/abstract

INVITED COMMENTARY
Making an offer you can’t refuse? A challenge of altruistic donation
James Neuberger
DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-2277.2011.01367.x

Transplant International
Early View (Online Version of Record published before inclusion in an issue)

Summary
Living donation is becoming increasingly used to help fill the gap between the needs of potential organ recipients and the availability of organs from deceased donors. The last few years has seen a small, but increasing contribution from altruistic (or good Samaritan or nondirected) donors. However, use of organs from such donors is associated with ethical as well as practical issues. The rights of the well-informed and consented donor to donate must be balanced against the rights of the surgeons to decline to offer such a service.