Transplantation of kidneys from small pediatric donors into pediatric recipients

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical features of kidney transplantation of small pediatric donors to pediatric recipients. Method A retrospective analysis of 48 kidney transplants from small pediatric donors into pediatric recipients was performed. Result Based on the transplantation types, the patients were divided into two groups: the single kidney transplantation (SKT) group and the en bloc kidney transplantation (EBKT) group. SKT was performed on 36 patients and EBKT on 12 patients. In the SKT group, postoperative complications included vascular thrombosis in 1 case (2.8%), primary disease recurrence in 1 case (2.8%), ureteral stenosis in 1 case (2.8%), delayed graft function in 17 cases (47.3%) and acute rejection in 4 cases (11.1%). In the EBKT group, postoperative complications included vascular thrombosis in 4 cases (33.3%), urine leak in 2 cases (16.7%), delayed graft function in 2 cases (16.7%) and acute rejection in 2 cases (16.7%). At last follow-up, patient survivals were 100% in both groups, whereas graft survival was 94.4% (34/36) in the SKT group and 75% (9/12) in the EBKT group. The mean serum creatinine in the SKT and EBKT group was (68.4±22.1) and (55.8±16.7) μmol/L, respectively. Conclusion Favorable outcomes can be obtained from transplantation from small pediatric donors. The use of this donor population for pediatric recipients should be encouraged. Key words: Kidney transplantation; Donor selection; Child; Glucocorticoids