Living donor kidney transplantation

Living donor kidney transplantation is the optimum treatment for the uremic patient. Successful kidney transplantations started in 1953 in Boston and in Sweden in 1964. This article showed data on the selection of the donor, surgical techniques for the removal of the kidney, and follow-up of short-term complications. The long-term results included the number of donors who developed hypertension and the few donors who developed end-stage renal failure (ESRF) and the reasons for this. Finally, new groups of donors such as blood group-incompatible donors and anonymous donors have been accepted, each of whom have their own programs. This article also discussed our responsibilities as renal specialists or transplant surgeons for kidney donors at surgery and postsurgery.     

Living unrelated donor kidney transplantation

BACKGROUND: Living unrelated donors remain an underutilized resource, despite their high graft survival rates. In this article, we updated the long-term results of more than 2500 living unrelated donor transplants performed in the United States. METHODS: Between 1987 and 1998, 1765 spouse, 986 living unrelated, 27,535 living related, and 86,953 cadaver donor grafts were reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing Kidney Registry. Kaplan-Meier curves compared graft survival rates in stratified analyses, and a log-linear analysis adjusted donor-specific outcomes for the effects of 24 other transplant factors. RESULTS: The long-term survival rates for both spouse and living unrelated transplants were essentially the same (5-year graft survivals of 75 and 72% and half-lives of 14 and 13 years, respectively). The results were similar to that for parent donor grafts (5-year graft survival = 74% and half-life = 12 years) and were significantly (P = 0.003) better than cadaver donor grafts (5-year graft survival = 62% and half-life = 9 years). After adjusting for the presence of transplant factors known to influence survival rates, recipients of living unrelated donor kidney transplants still had superior outcomes compared with cadaver transplants. CONCLUSIONS: Living unrelated kidney donors represent the fastest growing donor source in the United States and provide excellent long-term results. Encouraging spouses to donate could remove nearly 15% of the patients from the UNOS waiting list, effectively increasing the number of available cadaveric organs.     

Living donor and kidney transplantation

The medical, immunological and surgical histories of the transplantation of kidneys from a living donor have been developed differently. Living kidney transplantation involves better organ quality and also better kidney function than postmortem kidney transplantation. In Germany, living kidney transplantation is legally based on the transplantation statute of 1997. Traditionally, retroperitoneoscopic open nephrectomy is the gold standard used by most transplantation centers in Germany. The laparoscopic hand-assisted nephrectomy is a very good alternative to other surgical methods, but must be applied by experience surgeons. Digital subtraction angiography gives the best information on the maintenance of the vessels of the kidney, the vessels to the upper or lower poles and the retrocaval course of the venous vessels. The rate of postoperative complications for transplantation from a living kidney donor is lower than that for postmortem kidney transplantation. The formation of a donor organ registry can be very helpful in the evaluation and handling of information on organ donation.     

Living donor nephrectomy for kidney transplantation

We briefly describe the current two surgical techniques for living donor nephrectomy. The shortage of cadaver donor organs and progressive acceptation of laparoscopic procedures have significantly increased the number of living donor transplants in our environment. Laparoscopic nephrectomy is being rapidly and progressively incorporated to the therapeutic armamentarium in most hospitals. It is a new ally in eliminating reluctante and increasing the number of renal grafts for transplantation. We can say that nowadays most transplant centres perform exclusively laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.     

Living kidney donor transplantation - new dimensions

Abstract The ethical view points concerning living kidney donation are changing in Europe. Objections against emotionally related donation are fading away, whilst ethical arguments around brain death and "true death" are put first in some regions. Emotionally related donation is highly motivated and gives excellent results, despite rather bad HLA matches, but yet remains neglected as large source of kidneys in many centres and countries. Avoiding dialysis by pre-emptive transplantation with living donors is the best treatment of enD-stage renal disease in order to maintain quality of life and socioeconomic benefit. The technique of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy will probably spread quickly. The future of crossover transplantation is unclear as yet, but will probably not be stopped by law since it is ethically and biologically well justified. And, finally, all centres in regions where live donor kidney transplantation is rapidly expanding should prospectively follow up the health of their donors and interact as soon as necessary. An example of such an institution is the Swiss living kidney donor registry which has been following up 181 donors since April 1993.     

Living donor kidney transplantation: ethical aspects

Fifty years after the first kidney grafts, the ethical problems raised by harvesting an organ from a living donor remain a difficult issue for the French nephrology community. We summarize here the ethical principles guiding biomedicine. Respect for human rights requires careful control ensuring that all potential donors receive complete neutral information and are spared from any type of pressure. The principle of not causing harm must be considered in the context of modern medicine where, under certain conditions, individual risk related to a medical intervention is considered acceptable. Living-donor transplantation can have a potentially beneficial effect for the donor and improves access to grafts for patients whose only other solution would be a cadaver graft. We also discuss nonconventional living donors: ABO or HLA incompatible spouses and at-risk donors, for example, elderly donors.     

Living donor kidney transplantation in pediatric recipients

Currently, kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice in children with end stage renal disease, showing higher survivals than dialysis and proper weight-height, social and psychological-intellectual development. The indications for transplantation have been extended with time, so that today the indication for kidney transplantation is set for end stage renal disease with symptoms that cannot be eliminated by conservative treatment. In the pediatric age, mainly in children under two years, living donor kidney transplantation is specially indicated because it has longer survival than cadaver donor kidneys. Complications may appear: rejection, high blood pressure, infections, neoplasias, adverse events related to immunosuppressive drugs, and primary renal disease recurrences, besides surgical complications. Five-year results have improved over the last 5 decades, being mortality lower than 5%. Graft survival may reach 90% for living donor kidneys and 17% for cadaver donor. Factors related to graft survival include age (worse in receptors under 2 yr.), pretransplant dialysis, acute rejection, and race (better in caucasians).     

Living unrelated donor kidney transplantation between spouses

From November 3, 1975 to November 3, 1990, 874 kidney transplants were performed at our centers. Of these, 675 (77.2%) were from living donors and 199 (22.8%) were from cadaver donors. Five hundred eighty (66.4%) of the living donors were first degree related while 99 (11.3%) were unrelated or second degree related donors, 29 of which were spouses. All donor recipient pairs were ABO-compatible, with the exception of one pair. Donor recipient relations were wife to husband in 25 cases and husband to wife in 4 cases. All were first grafts and started functioning during surgery. In this series, the follow-up for the recipients was 4 to 64 months (mean 33.5 ± 4.5 months). One-year patient survival and graft survival rates were 92.4% and 81.9%, respectively. Two-year patient survival and graft survival rates were 92.4% and 78.2%, respectively. The single ABO-incompatible case is also doing well, 21 months postoperatively. This study demonstrates that the interspouse kidney transplantation may be used when cadaver organ shortage is a problem. While providing the couple with a better quality of life, interspouse kidney transplantation also enables the couple to share the joy of giving and receiving the gift of life from one another.

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Resumen En nuestro centro se efectuaron 874 trasplantes renales entre noviembre 3 de 1975 y noviembre 3 de 1990; 675 (77.2%) fueron de donantes vivos y 199 (22.8%) de donantes cadavéricos; 580 (66.4%) de los donantes vivos fueron familiares de primer grado y 99 (11.3%) fueron donantes no relacionados familiarmente o familiares de segundo grado, de los cuales 29 eran cónyuges. Todas las parejas donante-recipiente exhibieron compatibilidad ABO, con excepción de una. La relación donante-recipiente fue esposa a esposo en 25 casos y esposo a esposa en 4 casos. Todos los injertos eran de primera vez y todos comenzaron a funcionar en la mesa de cirugía. El seguimiento osciló entre 4 y 64 meses (33.5 ± 4.5). Las tasas de sobrevida a un año del paciente y del injerto fueron 92.4% y 81.9% respectivamente; las tasas a dos años fueron 92.4% y 78.2% respectivamente. El único caso ABO no compatible también se encuentra bien, a 21 meses en la actualidad. El presente estudio demuestra que el trasplante renal entre esposos puede ser utilizado cuando haya escases de órganos cadavéricos. Al tiempo que permite una mejor calidad de vida, el procedimiento da a la pareja la oportunidad de gozar el hecho de otorgar y de recibir el regalo de la vida entre uno y otro.

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Résumé Nous avons effectué 874 transplantations rénales dans nos centres de transplantation entre le 3 Nov, 1975 et le 3 Nov, 1990. Parmi celles-ci, 675 (77.2%) provenaient de donneurs vivants et 199 (22.8%) des reins provenaient de cadavres. Cinq cent quatre vingt des donneurs vivants (66.4%) étaient parents au premier degré alors que 99 (11.3%) étaient parents au 2è degré ou n'étaient pas parents, parmi lesquels 29 étaient des époux. Tous les couples donneur/receveur, sauf un, étaient compatibles dans le système ABO. Le couple donneur/receveur était femme à mari dans 25 cas et mari à femme dans quatre. Il s'agissait dans tous les cas d'une première greffe et qui a commencé à bien fonctionner sur la table d'opération. Dans cette série, le suivi des receveurs allait de 4 à 64 (33.5 ± 4.5) mois. Les taux de survie des malades et des greffes à un an étaient respectivement de 92.4% et 81.9%. Les taux de survie des malades et des greffes à deux ans étaient respectivement de 92.4% et 78.2%. Le seul cas avec incompatabilité ABO va très bien avec un recul de 21 mois. Cette étude montre que la transplantation entre époux est une solution valable en cas de manque de reins. En plus d'améliorer la qualité de survie du receveur et par là même du couple, cette variété de transplantation donne également au couple la possibilité d'avoir la joie de donner et de recevoir un cadeau de vie de leur époux.

     

Living donor transplantation of a pelvic kidney

Pelvic kidneys are uncommon anomalies rarely utilized in kidney transplantation. We describe a successful case of living-donor transplantation using a pelvic kidney in a 17-month-old infant with congenital renal dysplasia. The recipient had exhausted all options for renal replacement therapy, and urgent transplantation was considered a life saving treatment.     

亲属活体供肾移植治疗Alport综合征(附1例报道并文献复习)

目的:探讨亲属活体供肾移植治疗Alport综合征(AS)的安全性和治疗特点。方法:2004年7月为1例Alport综合征患者施行亲属活体供肾移植手术,术后对供、受者均随访1年7个月,分析亲属供肾移植治疗AS的特点以及评价活体供肾的安全性。结果:供者各项生命指标良好,肝肾功能无明显变化;受者术后肾功能恢复理想,随访期间未见AS复发及其他脏器功能的继续损害。结论:Alport综合征是一种临床上较少见的遗传性疾病。亲属活体供肾移植治疗AS是一种可供移植医生考虑的治疗手段,对于是否存在术后的AS复发尚有待更长期的临床观察。     

Living donor kidney transplantation in a global environment

Live donor kidney transplantation has become a widely sought treatment by patients with end-stage renal failure. As the outcome for the genetically and emotionally related live donor transplants is the same, this review considers live kidney transplantation from the broad scope of current international practice. Unrelated live donor transplantation can now be performed for incompatible donor recipient pairs via a simultaneous paired kidney donation. However, acceptance of the scientific data that an unrelated live donor transplant can now be performed successfully should not be misconstrued as an acceptance that an unrelated kidney may be purchased via a vendor sale. At a recent World Health Organization (WHO) conference of Middle East transplant professionals a statement of unequivocal opposition to commercialism was drafted. In the United States, the Institute of Medicine has recently published a significant report that affirms the legal prohibition of organ sales. These documents are in accord with the guiding principles of the WHO and the membership policy of The Transplantation Society. The person who gives consent to be a donor should be competent, willing to donate, free of coercion, medically and psychosocially suitable, and fully informed of the risks and benefits as a donor. With these principles established, the Amsterdam Forum has set forth a comprehensive list of medical criteria that is now used internationally in the evaluation of potential kidney donors. Guidelines of a psychosocial evaluation are also presented in this report for individuals who come forward through internet solicitation and other public appeals. It is now evident that the annual number of available deceased donors will not resolve the ongoing shortage of organs. Nevertheless, live donor kidney transplantation may not be the realistic final solution to an international public health epidemic of renal failure that is the result of an aging population of patients that have had inadequate preventive medical care.