Living donor grafts in liver transplantation: where are the psychiatric issues?

Purpose of review Driven by clinical experience, the author sought to review the current literature on psychiatric assessment of living adults who wish to donate a liver lobe for grafting into a recipient with end-stage liver disease. Recent findings Because this is a very new field of clinical inquiry, very few papers on the topic have appeared, although a number of reports exist on the medical and surgical aspects of living liver lobe donation. The author therefore reviews these in light of psychiatric and ethical concerns. Summary A troubling disconnection between potential physical and potential psychiatric harm appears to be reflected in the reports on liver lobe donation from living donors. Integrating these aspects of assessment and care presents itself as an area for systematic improvement in the field.