Cadaveric kidney transplantation in children < or =20 kg in weight: long-term single-center experience

BACKGROUND: We report long-term follow-up data on cadaveric kidney transplantation in children < or =20 kg in weight. METHODS: Between January 1990 and October 2003, we performed 19 cadaveric renal transplants in 19 children < or =20 kg in weight. Mean age at transplantation was 4.7 years (range 18 months to 9 years). Mean weight at transplantation was 14.4 kg (range 9 to 20 kg). Nine patients had preemptive kidney transplantation, whereas 10 were maintained on renal replacement therapy before the transplant operation. RESULTS: Actuarial 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year patient survival rates were 89.5%, 89.5%, 89.5%, and 82%, respectively. Actuarial 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year graft survival rates were 79%, 73%, 73%, 65%, respectively. Three patients died. Eight grafts failed. Cause of graft failure was death with a functioning graft in 3 patients, chronic rejection in 1, acute cellular rejection in 1, vascular rejection in 1, hemolytic-uremic syndrome in 1, and unknown in 1. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate the success of cadaveric kidney transplantation in the very small child with results comparable to living related donor transplantation.