Abstract
BackgroundApproximately 11% of the German population are convinced that certain moon phases and moon signs may impact their health and the onset and clinical course of diseases. Before elective surgery, a considerable number of patients look to optimize the timing of the procedure based on the lunar cycle. Especially patients awaiting living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) commonly look for an adjustment of the date of transplantation according to the moon calendar. This study therefore investigated the perioperative and long-term outcome of LDKT dependent on moon phases and zodiac signs.MethodsPatient data were prospectively collected in a continuously updated kidney transplant database. Two hundred and seventy-eight consecutive patients who underwent LDKT between 1994 and December 2009 were selected for the study and retrospectively assigned to the four moon phases (new-moon, waxing-moon, full-moon, and waning-moon) and the corresponding zodiac sign (moon sign Libra), based on the date of transplantation. Preexisting comorbidities, perioperative mortality, surgical outcome, and long-term survival data were analyzed.ResultsOf all LDKT procedures, 11.9, 39.9, 11.5, and 36.5% were performed during the new, waxing, full, and waning moon, respectively, and 6.2% during the moon sign Libra, which is believed to interfere with renal surgery. Survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years after transplantation were 98.9, 92, and 88.7% (patient survival) and 97.4, 91.6, and 80.6% (graft survival) without any differences between all groups of lunar phases and moon signs. Overall perioperative complications and early graft loss occurred in 21.2 and 1.4%, without statistical difference (p > 0.05) between groups.ConclusionMoon phases and the moon sign Libra had no impact on early and long-term outcome measures following LDKT in our study. Thus, concerns of patients awaiting LDKT regarding the ideal time of surgery can be allayed, and surgery may be scheduled independently of the lunar phases.
Highlights
11% of the German population are convinced that certain moon phases and moon signs may impact their health and the onset and clinical course of diseases
The timing of living donor kidney transplantation according to the lunar cycle and moon signs has not been investigated
The present work is the first to provide a structured analysis of the clinical impact of timing of an living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) procedure according to moon phases and the moon sign Libra
Summary
11% of the German population are convinced that certain moon phases and moon signs may impact their health and the onset and clinical course of diseases. In comparison to deceased donor transplantation, living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) provides better patient and allograft survival Reasons for this are shorter cold ischemic times, reduced time on the waiting list, and the opportunity for patient conditioning as well as to electively schedule surgery [1, 2]. Patients and their relatives sometimes set the date by following superstition-based predictions This includes the popular superstition that moon phases (new-, waxing-, full and waning moon) and moon signs (zodiac signs of the moon, which are believed to be associated with a certain part of the human body) might impact outcome after surgery. The timing of living donor kidney transplantation according to the lunar cycle and moon signs has not been investigated. The Results of this study might help surgeons to relieve patients’ concerns about the wrong timing of surgery
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
