DOJ Nods Approval for Paired Donations
The U.S. Justice Department released a memo April 4th indicating that paired organ donation does not violate federal laws.
Paired donation, where two patients with incompatible matches offered by friends are linked together to trade suitable organs, have been a source of some controversy. The question is whether the practice is legal because of language in the 1984 legislation governing transplant practices. The law’s intent was to prevent sales of organs. Both Houses of Congress are considering legislation to further support the Justice Department memo.
Transplant surgeons are cheering the development. Over 4,000 people died waiting for kidney transplants in 2006. Physicians anticipate that almost half of those currently waiting for transplant (74,000 people are currently on kidney transplant waiting lists) will received kidneys with widespread adoption of paired transplants.
April 6, 2007 Related topics: Legal & legislative, Ethics & Scandals, Surgery, Renal & Urology