Living unrelated renal transplantation: progress and potential.

Transplant centers are turning to emotionally related or living unrelated kidney donors more often than in the past. Such donors are a benefit to the patient with end-stage renal disease, yet concern about their use persists. In the United States, the use of related donors has been well established in most centers. Nonetheless, there had been a reluctance to use nonrelatives that only recently has started to change. Most physicians agree that kidney transplant results are improved with living unrelated donor utilization. The transplant community needs to be watchful of the living unrelated donor operation. Both the welfare of the donor and the possibility of a "slippery slope" toward kidney bartering are considerations that need careful monitoring.