Living liver donation: a survey of the attitudes of the public in Great Britain

BACKGROUND: Living liver donation (LLD) is becoming an accepted way of increasing the donor pool for liver transplantation. The procedure is associated with major ethical difficulties because there is a significant risk of death to the healthy donor. METHODS: We therefore conducted two surveys of the Great Britain population to determine their attitudes to LLD. RESULTS: Approximately three quarters of the population of 1734 adults aged more than 15 years were supportive of LLD. Those in favor were more likely to be men, better educated, and younger. Seventy-four percent were supportive of the donor being reimbursed for costs incurred in donation, and 19% agreed that the donor should be paid for donation, although there was great variation in the amount suggested. Forty-two percent of the population believed that a risk of 1:200 or less was acceptable when donating to a family member, and only 14% believed that this risk was acceptable when donating to a friend. CONCLUSIONS: Most adults in Great Britain are in favor of LLD, although more than half believe that a donor risk of mortality of 1:200 is acceptable.