Search

Background: Kidney transplants using organs from paediatric cadaver donors are uncommon and technically difficult. It has become accepted practice to transplant both kidneys en bloc from donors of 5 years into a single recipient. We aim to compare outcomes of en bloc kidney (EBK) transplants versus single kidney (SK) transplants from cadaver donors of age 5 years and lesser. Methods: Data reported to Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry from 1989 to 2004 were analysed. Results: From donors 5 years of age and younger, there were 33 EBK and 38 SK transplants carried out. Overall graft survival rates at 1 and 5 years were 78 and 61%, respectively, in the EBK group and 63 and 55%, respectively, in the SK group ( P = 0.94). Vascular thrombosis was the most common cause of early graft loss with an incidence of 11 and 18%, respectively, in the EBK and SK groups ( P = 0.5). Conclusion: There is a trend towards a lower vascular thrombosis rate and a better long-term graft survival in EBK transplants. These transplants will remain a technical challenge for the surgeon and EBK transplants should remain the technique of choice for donors of 5 years and lesser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is lack of consensus in the literature regarding the comparative efficacy of in situ aortic-only compared with dual (aortic and portal venous) perfusion for retrieval and transplantation of the liver. Recipient outcomes from the Australia/New Zealand Liver Transplant Registry (2007-2016), including patient and graft survival and causes of graft loss, were stratified by perfusion route. Subgroup analyses were conducted for higher-risk donors. A total of 1382 liver transplantation recipients were analyzed (957 aortic-only; 425 dual perfusion). There were no significant differences in 5-year graft and patient survivals between the aortic-only and dual cohorts (80.1% versus 84.6% and 82.6% versus 87.8%, respectively) or in the odds ratios of primary nonfunction, thrombotic graft loss, or graft loss secondary to biliary complications or acute rejection. When analyzing only higher-risk donors (n = 369), multivariate graft survival was significantly less in the aortic-only cohort (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.92). Overall, there was a trend toward improved outcomes when dual perfusion was used, which became significant when considering higher-risk donors alone. Inferences into the ideal perfusion technique in multiorgan procurement will require further investigation by way of a randomized controlled trial, and outcomes after the transplantation of other organs will also need to be considered., (© 2018 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)