Changing Ethical Guidelines in Renal Transplantation: Presentation of Iranian Model

Changing Ethical Guidelines in Renal Transplantation: Presentation of Iranian Model

At present , in developed countries the number of patients on renal transplant waiting list is steadily increasing. The gap between supply and demand for a renal allograft is worsening. Each year thousands of patients are dying while waiting for a renal transplant. In developing countries , more than 500,000 new end stage renal disease patients die each year due to lack of access to dialysis and renal transplant facilities . in addition, several hundred thousand patients continue dialysis therapy while needing renal transplantation. In united states the early ethical guidelines of renal transplantation is changing, with steadily increasing number of kidney donors from spouses, close friends and altruistic strangers. The sever organ shortage and many patient deaths worldwide has convinced a number of transplant experts that providing financial incentives to organs sources as an alternative to altruism needs careful reconsideration. Iran has adopted a compensated and well-regulated living unrelated donor renal transplant program in 1988. by the end of setember 2004, a total of 16,810 renal transplants have been performed. Since 1999, the renal transplant waiting list in Iran been eliminated. In Iranian model many ethical problems related to compensated renal transplantation have been prevented.