ABSTRACT
Living donor kidney (LDK) transplantation allows patients with end-stage renal failure the best chance of rehabilitation. However, living donation appears contrary to the most fundamental concept of the medical profession: primum non nocere (first do no harm). It exposes a healthy individual to the combined risks of major surgery and life with a single kidney entirely for the benefit of another individual. LDK transplantation should only be undertaken if four essential conditions are met,1 and these form the basis of the evaluation process of the living donor:
• The risk to the donor must be low. • The donor must be fully informed. • The decision to donate must be entirely
voluntary and not due to coercion. • The transplant must have a good chance
of providing a successful outcome for the recipient.
