What A Kidney Is Worth, Ctd

by Patrick Appel

Bill Peckham, who is on dialysis himself, presents a criticism of organ markets I've not heard before:

By paying for kidneys you change the system that has developed for the acquisition/transplant of other organs and tissues.

If a kidney from a living donor is worth $20,000, what's a postmortem kidney worth? How much for a postmortem liver? Postmortem donation of hearts, livers, lungs and all manner of other useful tissues rely on altruistic donation. If body parts become commodities what will it mean for all the people waiting for postmortem donations? I think the needs of people waiting for irreplaceable body parts (e.g. hearts, lungs, liver (mostly)) should be considered before the needs of those waiting for a kidney.

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