Renal retransplantation of children: is a policy 'first cadaver donor, then live donor' an acceptable option?
Retransplantation is often a necessity for children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), as kidney graft survival is still not infinite. If a suitable live donor is present, the current policy is to use the live donor first, in order to obtain excellent long-term outcome and to prevent human leucocyte antigen (HLA) sensitization. Data from the Eurotransplant International Foundation were analyzed to determine whether the sequence, first a cadaveric donor then a live donor, is acceptable. Between January 1 1983 and December 31 1995, 1305 children received a first renal transplant; 269 of them had a second transplant during the same period. Follow-up of at least 1 yr was available. Categories were made according to the sequence of renal donor source: 217 patients were classified as first cadaver and second cadaver (1cad-2cad) transplant, 26 as first cadaver and second live (1cad-2liv) donor transplant, 23 as first live donor and second cadaver (1liv-2cad) transplant and three patients had two subsequent live donor transplants (1liv-2liv). When a live donor transplant was carried out, either first or second, the donor age was always higher, and the chance of a pre-emptive transplantation or short stay on dialysis was higher, compared with a cadaver transplant. The re-graft survival rate of the '1cad-2liv' was better than the '1cad-2cad' and '1liv-2cad' transplants. At 5 yr, the survival was 76%, 49%, and 61%, respectively. These data suggest that, when a suitable live donor is not available for a first transplantation owing to medical and/or familial reservations, a policy of 'first a cadaver donor then a live donor' transplantation is a viable option and should even be promoted. The pre-emptive stage of the second transplant, probably with a live donor, is additionally advantageous.
De Meester
J
J
Eurotransplant International Foundation, Leiden, The Netherlands. johan.de.meester@olzv-aalst.be
Smits
J M
JM
Offner
G
G
Persijn
G G
GG
D000293:Adolescent; D002102:Cadaver; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D006435:Renal Dialysis