It's troubling that the risk to living liver donors was glossed over in this article with the word "significant". It's important that a would-be recipient be informed of the risks to the donor before asking someone to make that sacrifice for them.
Two living liver donors died in the US in 2010 and they weren't the first. In fact, due to the lack of reporting requrements, the exact number is unknown (but last somewhat pegged at 33). A2ALL, the largest in-process study (covering the 9 biggest liver transplant programs in the US), revealed a nearly 40% complication rate for living liver donors, and severe psychological consequences, including suicides, suicide attempts and drug overdoses. Meanwhile, the graft survival rate (as noted in this article) is no better than that of a deceased donor liver.
For more information: www.livingdonor101.com/living_liver_donors.shtml
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It's troubling that the risk to living liver donors was glossed over in this article with the word "significant". It's important that a would-be recipient be informed of the risks to the donor before asking someone to make that sacrifice for them.
Two living liver donors died in the US in 2010 and they weren't the first. In fact, due to the lack of reporting requrements, the exact number is unknown (but last somewhat pegged at 33). A2ALL, the largest in-process study (covering the 9 biggest liver transplant programs in the US), revealed a nearly 40% complication rate for living liver donors, and severe psychological consequences, including suicides, suicide attempts and drug overdoses. Meanwhile, the graft survival rate (as noted in this article) is no better than that of a deceased donor liver.
For more information: www.livingdonor101.com/living_liver_donors.shtml
February 15, 2011 - 2:21pmThis Comment
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