Organ Donation by Unrelated Donors

Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation: the Hepatologist's Perspective

“…47 A detailed discussion of the ethics of adult LDLT is beyond the scope of this review, but similar issues have been raised in the context of pediatric LDLT and living donor kidney transplantation. 1,48,49 Adult LDLT poses unique ethical dilemmas, however. While pediatric and adult LDLT are both life-saving procedures, complete lobectomy carries a greater risk of morbidity.…”

“…With ongoing refinement in the LDLT surgical technique and candidate selection, new prospects for further increasing and optimizing liver donation are envisioned (for example, living nondirected and anonymous donation or organ exchange in which ABO incompatible donors and recipients can be matched). 1,2,34 All transplant centers performing adult-to-adult LDLT should meet the ASTS recommended guidelines for institutional resources and oversight. 13 Studies of long-term safety are essential, and principles regarding the finances and ethics of LDLT must be thoroughly debated and clarified.…”

“…1,2 As a result, surgeons and hepatologists have explored novel strategies to expand the pool of hepatic allografts. For example, programs now routinely use older cadaveric livers, allografts with moderate steatosis, and donors with evidence of past hepatitis B or C infection.…”

“…For example, programs now routinely use older cadaveric livers, allografts with moderate steatosis, and donors with evidence of past hepatitis B or C infection. 1,2 In addition, there has been continued refinement of hepatobiliary surgical technique, wider experience with major liver resection, improvements in pre-and postoperative care, 3,4 and increasing success in transplanting left lateral segments of adult livers into children. 5 These advances led to the development of split liver transplantation, 6 and most recently, spurred the introduction and increasing application of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).…”

A Logical Analysis of Slippery Slope Arguments

“…In particular, SSAs play central roles in many debates in medical ethics. They have been invoked in the debate on abortion, 7 against the legalization of voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, 8 and against organ donation by unrelated donors (e.g., [13]). More recently, slippery slope arguments have been put forward against stem cell research, 9 gene therapy, 10 in vitro fertilization, 11 cloning, 12 new forms of eugenics, 13 or prenatal diagnosis 14 -and this list is by no means exhaustive.…”