Prospective Swiss cohort study of living-kidney donors: study protocol.

ABSTRACT: Background Offering living kidney donation raised the concern that donors are exposed to unknown risks. All Swiss transplant centres therefore decided to start a prospective cohort study of living kidney donors in Switzerland. This paper describes the rationale for and implementation of this cohort study. Methods/design All kidney donors in Switzerland are registered and examined before donation and biennially after donation starting in the first year after nephrectomy. Before each follow-up visit, the study centre sends a package to the kidney donor containing the health questionnaire, blood and urine tubes and a prepaid envelope for sending the samples to the central laboratory. The donor makes an appointment with their family physician, who examines the donor and reports findings such

SUBMITTER: Thiel GT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3208897 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature