ABSTRACT
There is a persistent shortage of allografts available for transplantation, so we envisioned using non-heart beating donation to expand the donor pool. Non-heart beating donors (NHBD) were categorized using four definitions. Controlled donors, consisting of categories III and IV, are the most suitable for NHBD. Delayed graft function is associated with the use of kidneys from such donors, but had no difference on graft survival in the long-term results compared with heart beating donors. The proportion of NHBD of deceased donors differs considerably among countries, but national programs in many nations have now been initiated to increase the rate of non-heart beating donation. In most cases, the organs from NHBD are not available for transplantation in Korea because of legal restrictions. The use of controlled NHBD is encouraged to expand available allografts in Korea, due to the shortage of such allografts