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Recommended Guidelines for the Care of Living Donors
Consensus Statement on the Live Organ Donor
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on December 13, 2000, the Consensus Statement on the Live Organ Donor is the result of the June 2000 Consensus Conference on Live Donor Organ Transplantation, a joint conference of the National Kidney Foundation, the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.
Intended to serve as recommended practice guidelines for those involved in caring for living donors, the statement maintains that the benefits to both donor and recipient must outweigh the risks associated with the donation and transplantation of the living donor organ. According to the statement, the person who gives consent to be a live organ donor should be:
- Competent
- Willing to donate
- Free of coercion
- Medically and psychosocially suitable
- Fully informed of the risks and benefits as a donor
- Fully informed of the risks, benefits, and alternative treatment available to the recipient
If you're considering living donation, please read the Consensus Statement on the Live Organ Donor and discuss it with your health care team, paying particular attention to Table 1, "Elements of Disclosure for Potential Living Donors." You can access the statement in two ways:
- Download the Consensus Statement on the Live Organ Donor (*PDF), OR
- Contact Us to request a printed copy of the statement by mail or fax. Be sure to let us know that you want the "Consensus Statement on the Live Organ Donor."