Paid Living-Unrelated Renal Transplantation Abroad: Too Much Unknown

OBJECTIVE: Despite the unethical characteristic and unfavorable consequences, paid livingunrelated renal transplantation is still considered as an option for end-stage renal disease patients. This study aimed to compare the medical and surgical complications along with allograft functions of PLURT patients with age and gender matched transplant recipients who received a living or deceased donor kidney at our center. MATERIAL and METHODS: End-stage renal disease patients received PLURT (group 1) in a foreign country and age, and gender matched renal transplant recipients that received renal transplantation from living-related donors (LRT patients; group 2) and deceased donors (DDRT patients; group 3) followed between 2003-2010 at our transplantation center were included in the study. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between groups (Group 1&2 and group 1&3) regarding age, sex, urea, creatinine, creatinine clearance, and proteinuria. Data about patients that received renal transplantation from living-related and deceased-donors at our center were sufficient when compared with PLURT patients. PLURT has a negative impact on patients’ survival because of surgical and medical problems. CONCLUSION: In the present study, PLURT, LRT and DDRT patients had early and late complications of renal transplantation which were similarly seen in recent studies. The main problem for unfavorable results of PLURT is the commercial aspect of renal transplantation without considering the risks for ESRD patients.