BACKGROUND: Ethical issues in living organs have gradually become the focus and difficult point in research.
OBJECTIVE: To further study the ethical issues of living organ donors.
METHODS: A computer-based online search in CNKI database and VMIS database from January 2001 to March 2011 was performed for articles on organ transplantation, with key words of “living donor” and “organ transplantation, ethics” by screening titles and abstracts. The documents closely related to living donor in the same field, and published in authoritative journals or recently were preferred. Unrelated, antiquated and repetitive studies were excluded. Totally 18 literatures and four medical ethics books were chosen to summarize.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Laws and regulations in organ transplantation and donation should be improved, and donor sources should be standardized in order to prevent sale of living donor driven by scientific and technological benefits and economic benefits to achieve healthy survivor. Study the ethical issues in living donors can improve the enthusiasm and initiative of living donors and solve the shortage of organ donors.