Physician Attitudes Toward Living Kidney Donation

Abstract

Background: Compared to dialysis, living kidney donation has a greater chance of restoring health and is associated with better outcomes than deceased kidney donation. Although physicians advocate for this treatment, it is uncertain how they would act as potential living kidney donors or recipients. Methods: We surveyed 104 physicians, pediatric, and internal medicine nephrologists, to ascertain their attitudes toward living donation. Results: Among surveyed nephrologists, there was nearly universal support for living kidney donation as a viable medical option, and nearly all of them would support a healthy and medically cleared patient who wishes to participate. Although support was still strong, nephrologists were significantly less likely to support their friends and relatives participating in living kidney donation, and their support declined further for friends and relatives donating to nonrelatives. Conclusion: Our findings suggest the need to more deeply examine physician-perceived risks involved in serving as a living kidney donor. Based on differences in surveyed nephrologist attitudes regarding donation to and from loved ones versus nonrelatives, we suggest that physicians should give careful consideration to how they describe the risks of living donation to potential donors.