Renal Transplantation From a Living Related Donor

Living related donors (LRD) still remain the main source of kidney transplants for several countries. The superiority of graft survival from LRD is undoubted. On the other hand, the shortage of cadaver kidneys and the better histocompatibility between relatives argue in favor of LRD [1]. Thus, in some centers in the United States, up to 25% of transplanted kidneys come from this source. In Europe, the center policy differs considerably regarding the potential donors. In Norway, 56% of all grafts performed in 1987 came from LRD, and in Sweden and Denmark more than 20% of all first grafts came from that origin. However, in other countries like the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Germany, LRD are accepted only in a minority of the centers [2]. In Greece, out of a total of 758 renal transplantations performed over the last 20 years, 584 (77%) came from LRD.