title: Colon perforation after renal transplantation: a single-institution review.
abstract: Colon perforation (CP) is an uncommon but dramatic complication after renal transplantation. Of 1530 consecutive kidney transplants performed at our center, 8 recipients had an CP (incidence of 0.5%), either early (n = 5, 2-14 days) or late (n = 3, 8-48 months) post transplant. Clinical symptoms were generally vague. Biological findings were inconstant. Risk factors for CP included a cadaver graft (versus a living donor), high body weight, history of diverticulitis, and Kayexalate use. Crucial to outcome were: 1) immediate diagnosis and 2) aggressive surgical care consisting of resectional therapy, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and reduced immunosuppression. Applying these principles, mortality in our patients (25%) was lower than in previously reported series (33-64%). All grafts were functioning at the time of diagnosis; graft function was preserved in recipients who recovered from CP. Patients with a documented history of diverticulitis should undergo prophylactic colonic resection. Constipation and colonic dilatation should be treated aggressively in the early post-operative period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pirenne
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lledo-Garcia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hakim
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gruessner
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Najarian
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Matas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors