LIVING UNRELATED RENAL-TRANSPLANTATION - PROGRESS AND POTENTIAL

Transplant centers are turning to emotionally related or living unrela ted kidney donors more often than in the past. Such donors rue a benef it to the patient with end-stage renal disease, yet concern about thei r use persists. In the United States, the use of related donors has be en well established in most centers. Nonetheless, there had been a rel uctance to use nonrelatives that, only recently has started to change. Most physicians agree that kidney transplant results are improved wit h living unrelated donor utilization. The transplant community needs t o be watchful of the living unrelated donor operation. Both the welfar e of the donor and the possibility of a ''slippery slope'' toward kidn ey bartering are considerations that need careful monitoring.