Search

Background: The utilization of kidney grafts from expanded criteria donors (ECDs) needs to be evaluated within the context of critical organ shortage and graft function and survival. The impact of donor risk variables on kidney transplantation (KTx) outcome was investigated., Methods: A retrospective review of 75 KTxs from ECDs over a 5-year period was performed. Donor risk factors were analyzed separately and correlated with recipients graft function and survival., Results: Sixty-four recipients out of 75 (85.3%) had functioning grafts 5 years post-transplant. The overall actuarial graft survival rates at 1 through 5 years were 87.5, 68.1, 57.3, 55.4, and 47.3%, respectively. Forty-seven kidneys (62.7%) had early function with actuarial survival of 100.0, 88.3, 75.8, 75.8, and 68.4% at 1-5 years post-transplant, and 28 (37.3%) grafts presented delayed function with substantially decreased actuarial survival, ranging from 66.7 to 23.2%. KTxs from elderly donors had remarkable actuarial survival rates ranging from 100.0 to 67.0%, at 1-5 years, being the best graft survival rates among KTxs from other donor categories. The other donor risk variables when associated with old age had an adverse effect on recipient graft function and survival, but none alone or a combination of the two, showed any significant statistical variability., Conclusion: ECDs significantly increased the kidney pool and can be utilized safely if adequate measures are taken.

Background: The use of kidneys from elderly deceased donors has substantially increased organ supply, although it is associated with worse graft function and survival rates. The risk of kidneys from elderly donors as well as expanded criteria donors (ECDs) on kidney transplant outcome was investigated., Patients and Methods: Seventy-five kidney transplants from ECDs over a 5-year period were reviewed retrospectively. Old age and increased donor risk variables were analyzed separately in relation to graft function and survival., Results: Sixty-four of 75 (85.3%) recipients had functioning grafts 5 years posttransplant. The overall actuarial graft survivals from 1 to 5 years were 87.5%, 68.1%, 57.3%, 55.4%, and 47.3%, respectively. Early graft function gave 47 (62.7%) kidneys remarkable actuarial survivals of 100.0%, 88.3%, 75.8%, 75.8%, and 68.4% at 1 to 5 years posttransplant, and 28 (37.3%) kidneys had delayed graft function with substantially decreased actuarial survival rates, ranging from 66.7% to 23.2%. Kidneys from elderly donors had considerable actuarial graft survival rates of 100.0%, 83.3%, 76.9%, 76.9%, and 67.0% from 1 to 5 years, respectively; these were the best graft survival rates compared with kidneys from the other donor categories. The other donor risk variables when associated with advanced age of any had an adverse effect on recipient graft function and survival, but no single risk variable alone, or a combination of any two, showed any statistically significant variability., Conclusion: Elderly kidney donors provided a substantial organ pool expansion without affecting patient and graft survival in many patients. ECDs can be utilized safely if adequate measures are taken., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Hellenic Transplant Organization (HTO), a nonprofit organization sector of the Greek Ministry of Health, was officially established in 1999. Since March 2001, HTO has been responsible for donation and transplantation processes in Greece and organ sharing between Greece and other European countries. The organization's main tasks are: donor referral, charting, donor assessment, organ evaluation, organ allocation and transplantation. Today, the results show increased success rates to previously believed unthinkable levels. Precisely, the percentage of referred versus used cadaveric donors increased by 468% and 134%, respectively. Cadaveric kidney transplantation has also shown remarkable progress with a 126% increase during the same period. Similarly, liver transplantation showed a threefold rise (89%) during the same time. Unfortunately, heart and lung transplantations remain low, thus preventing statistical conclusions to be drawn. Although Greece in previous years had the lowest donor and transplantation rates per million population, its position compared with other European countries is expected to rise significantly this year. Undoubtedly, the numbers and percentages compared to previous years are due to the radical changes implemented by the HTO, by introducing transplant coordination principles and procurement management, which were concepts not previously established in Greece. However, there are still major obstacles, such as intensivists' refusal to disconnect, inaccessible geographical locations, few transplant centers, and society's suspicion of organ donation concept, that still need attention. Nevertheless, the first step has been taken and other European countries standards will hopefully be attained soon.