Nephrol Dial Transplant (2000) 15: 1667-1672
© 2000 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association
Workload generated by a living donor programme for renal transplantation
Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, UK
Background. The ethical and medical implications of live kidney donation result in a comprehensive work-up process. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of the workload and the yield of renal transplants generated by a live donor programme.
Methods. Referrals to the Leicester live donor programme over the five-year period 1994–1998 were retrospectively assessed. These were initiated by nephrology referral and subsequently investigated in a stepwise manner. Patients were counselled and baseline tests performed prior to consultant surgeon review and assessment of donor renal function/anatomy.
Results. One hundred and fifty referrals consisting of 150 recipients with 269 potential donors were originally made. This resulted in 32/120 (27%) related and 3/30 (10%) unrelated recipients (P=0.06) and 32/220 (15%) related and 3/49 (6%) unrelated donors proceeding to live donor transplantation, with a mean work-up time (±SD) of 9 (±7) months. One hundred and fifteen recipients (77%) and 234 (87%) donors failed to proceed at various stages of assessment, for a variety of immunological, medical and social reasons. A large number of expensive immunological investigations were required for potential donors, the majority of which did not proceed to transplantation. However as a result of performing these in the early stages of assessment the number of more invasive tests is kept to a minimum.
Conclusions. There is a relatively low yield of transplants from live donor referrals, particularly those between unrelated individuals. The vast majority of referrals fail to proceed for legitimate reasons, but as a result, create a significant workload with notable staffing and financial implications.
Keywords: live organ donor; renal transplant; workload
Correspondence and offprint requests to: Mr R. N. Saunders, Transplant Fellow, University Department of Surgery, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW, UK.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  F. R. Calder and R. W. Chang Panning for gold: screening for potential live kidney donors Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., May 1, 2004; 19(5): 1276 - 1280. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Voiculescu, K. Ivens, G. R. Hetzel, M. Hollenbeck, W. Sandmann, K. Grabitz, K. Balzer, F. Schneider, and B. Grabensee Kidney transplantation from related and unrelated living donors in a single German centre Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., February 1, 2003; 18(2): 418 - 425. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|