title: The role of combined liver/kidney transplantation in end-stage hepato-renal disease.
abstract: The study describes the indications and results of combined liver/kidney transplantation in eight patients suffering from end-stage hepato-renal diseases. The causes of primary renal failure were hyperoxaluria type I (2/8), diabetic nephropathy (2/8), glomerulonephritis (2/8), congenital pyelonephritis (1/8), and polycystic kidneys (1/8). Only five of these patients were on chronic dialysis prior to transplantation. The indication for kidney transplantation in the other three patients was low GFR (< 20 mL/min) and the anticipation of further deterioration of the renal function after liver transplantation as a result of cyclosporine toxicity. The end-stage liver diseases were chronic active hepatitis (4/8) and alcoholic cirrhosis (2/8). There was no evidence for liver failure in two patients undergoing combined transplants for primary hyperoxaluria. The 1-year patient survival rate is 75 per cent, and at that time, kidney and liver function were found to be within normal range. In conclusion, excellent long-term patient survival, as well as kidney and liver graft function, can be achieved in patients suffering from complex end-stage disease of both organs who undergo combined liver and kidney transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaked
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nuesse
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: el-Khoury
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Danovich
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Busuttil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications