Living Donor Kidney Transplant: Medicolegal and Insurance Aspects

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings 2005-07, Vol.37 (6), p.2439-2444
• Main Authors: Campobasso, C.P., Quaranta, R., Dell’Erba, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Human Rights; Humans; Insurance, Health; Italy; Kidney Transplantation - economics; Kidney Transplantation - standards; Living Donors; Malpractice; Medical sciences; Nephrectomy - economics; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Safety; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tissue and Organ Harvesting - economics; Tissue and Organ Harvesting - standards; Tissue, organ and graft immunology
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2005.06.083

Kidney transplantation is quite a routine complex procedure, not without risks and consequences to the donor, the recipient, and the health care professionals. Kidney-related medical malpractice suits are growing rapidly, and for clinicians and surgeons, the risk of being sued can be only reduced by practicing high-quality medicine and by appropriately communicating with donors and recipients. Actually relevant guidelines are available including safety and quality assurance standards for procurements, preservation, processing, and distribution for organs to maximize their quality and thereby the rate of success of transplants and to minimize the risk of such a procedure. We also find it essential that practice of living donor kidney transplant is in line with the general rules of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and its Additional Protocol. In this article, financial incentives and insurance aspects related with living donors kidney transplants are also illustrated.