Description
Book SynopsisIn Kidney to Share, Martha Gershun tells the story of her decision to donate a kidney to a stranger. She takes readers through the complex process by which such donors are vetted to ensure that they are physically and psychologically fit to take the risk of a major operation. John D. Lantos, a physician and bioethicist, places Gershun''s story in the larger context of the history of kidney transplantation and the ethical controversies that surround living donors. Together, they help readers understand the discoveries that made transplantation relatively safe and effective as well as the legal, ethical, and economic policies that make it feasible.
Gershun and Lantos explore the steps involved in recovering and allocating organs. They analyze the differences that arise depending on whether the organ comes from a living donor or one who has died. They observe the expertiseand the shortcomingsof doctors, nurses, and other professionals and describe the
Trade Review
Kidney to Share provides an account of organ donation that is both personal and analytical. The combination of perspectives leads to a profound and compelling exploration of a largely opaque practice. [The authors] pull back the curtain to offer readers a more transparent view of the fascinating world of organ donation.
* Midwest Book Review *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. Why Not Me?
2. The Arcane Process of Screening Living Donors
3. Meeting "My" Recipient
4. Do I Own My Organs?
5. Evaluation at Mayo
6. Are "Stranger Donors" Irrational?
7. What Are the Risks?
8. Unnecessary Bureaucratic Barriers or Appropriate Patient Protection?
9. The Endgame
10. Paired Exchanges, Chain Donations, and Organ Markets
11. The Odyssey Continues
12. Complexities of Increasing Organ Supply
13. Going Public, Moving Forward
14. The Countdown Begins
15. Ethics, Organ Markets, and Dry Ice
16. Staying Healthy
17. First Attempt
18. Second Attempt
19. Follow-Up
20. Lessons Learned
Epilogue
