Living organ donation practices in E urope – results from an online survey

Summary In E urope, living organ donation ( LOD ) is increasingly accepted as a valuable solution to overcome the organ shortage. However, considerable differences exist between E uropean countries regarding frequency, practices and acceptance of donor–recipient relations. As a response, the C oordination A ction project ‘ L iving O rgan D onation in E urope’ ( www.eulod.eu ), funded by the S eventh F ramework P rogramme of the E uropean C ommission, was initiated. Transplant professionals from 331 E uropean kidney and liver transplant centres were invited to complete an online survey on living kidney donation ( LKD ) and living liver donation ( LLD ). In total, 113 kidney transplant centres from 40 countries and 39 liver transplant centres from 24 countries responded. 96.5% and 71.8% performed LKD and LLD respectively. The content of the medical screening of donors was similar, but criteria for donor acceptance varied. Few absolute contraindications for donation existed. The reimbursement policies diverged and the majority of the donors did not get reimbursed for their income loss during recovery. Large discrepancies were found between geographical E uropean regions (the E astern, the M editerranean and the N orth‐ W estern). As a result of this survey we suggest several recommendations to improve quality and safety of LOD in E urope.