Organ Donation

* Larry Gordon’s sensitive account of a gift of life of organs from a man who died in a motorcycle accident (Oct. 4) points out the increasing importance for all of us to be aware of the need for more donations of kidneys. However, there is one misleading comment that I believe may be a misprint.

The article notes that, “A kidney transplant within a family is rare. UCLA performs about 150 kidney transplants a year and only about four over the last 10 years involved relatives, officials said.” I have been functioning as the renal transplant psychiatrist for the past year and a half in the UCLA Medical Center. During that time I have evaluated 82 living donors. With the exception of five, all have donated kidneys for brothers, sisters, children, parents and spouses.

It is true that it is rare to receive a kidney from a deceased relative. Perhaps this in what the officials intended to convey. We encourage family members to consider donating a kidney. The survival rate is higher, the rejection rate is lower and the psychological benefits to both donor and recipient are very high.

ROBERT O. PASNAU MD

Los Angeles