Elsevier

Transplantation Proceedings

Volume 35, Issue 6, September 2003, Pages 2091-2092
Transplantation Proceedings

Kidney transplantation
Living donor kidney transplantation: chance for the recipient—financial risk for the donor?

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0041-1345(03)00675-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

With living donation, in addition to the medical risk, the financial risk for the donor is essential, especially in case of complications that potentially can led to disability and loss of work. We report the experiences of those who have donated a kidney in our transplant center.

Methods

We contacted 80 donors who donated a kidney at least 6 months prior to evaluation: 72% answered 33 questions. [mean age: 54 ± 10 (33–75) years; 69% living related, 31% unrelated].

Results

Of the 80 donors contacted, 91% (53) reported to have no financial expenses due to donation; 9% (5) had expenses, but only few of them clarified exact amount. One donor had to borrow money to cover the lack when he was unable to perform his job. Another claimed the disparity between normal salary and payment from insurance company as a financial expense. Evaluation procedure prior to donation was organized variously: some donors were on holiday while evaluated, some officially were ill, others had to take off some days without payment. None of the donors lost his or her job due to donation.

Conclusion

The financial risk of living donation is theoretically well covered by different insurances. However, some of the donors had to cover some expenses by themselves. Fortunately, so far in our center no major complications occurred and all donors went home in good health after donation. If costs are covered when a healthy donor loses his or her ability to work due to donation remains unclear since no donor has experienced this problem.

Section snippets

Patients and methods

After a mean follow-up of 28 months 85 of 87 (97.7%) grafts showed function. Two organs were lost due to severe vascular or chronic rejection at 5 days and 24 months after transplantation. In donors, one hematoma (1%), one hernia (1%), and one acute psychosis (1%) occurred as the main postoperative complications. So far, none of the donors showed any problems concerning remaining kidney function after donation.

Using a questionnaire, we asked 80 donors of a kidney at least 6 months prior to our

Results

Of the donors contacted, 91% (53) reported to have no financial expenses due to donation; 5 (9%) of the donors had expenses, but only few of them clarified the exact amount and circumstances.

One donor had to borrow money to cover living expenses when he was not able to do his job. Another claimed the disparity between normal salary and payment from the insurance company while he was ill as a financial expense. The days for evaluation before donation were organized very variously: Some of the

Discussion

The financial risk of living donation is theoretically well covered by different insurances. However, some of the donors had to cover some expenses by themselves. Fortunately, so far in our center no major complications occurred and all of the donors went home in good health after donation. If costs are covered when a healthy donor loses his or her ability to work due to donation remains unclear since no donor has experienced this problem.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

References (6)

  • A. Matas et al.

    Am J Trans

    (2002)
  • International Symposium on Living Donor Organ Transplantation: Essen, Germany, September 24–25,...
  • German Transplantation...
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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