The familial liver donor in renal transplantation.

A survey is made of the 20-year experience with more than 300 living donors in renal transplantation at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. Details are given pertaining to the first transplantation of the kidney from one living person to another in December 1954. The surgical technique, the complications and the results of renal transplantation from a living donor are summarized. The philosophic and psychologic problems encountered are described. A comparison of results summarized by Murray of living, related donor transplants to cadaveric donor transplants is included. This paper constitutes a salute to the familial living donor.