title: Severe gastrointestinal complications after 1,515 adult kidney transplantations.
abstract: We studied, retrospectively, the occurrence of severe gastrointestinal (GI) complications after kidney transplantation. After 1,515 consecutive adult kidney transplantations performed on 1,445 patients during 1990-1999 at our centre, 147 (10%) severe post-transplantation GI complications were found. Ten percent of the complications were fatal. The median follow-up time was 6.2 years. The main complications were gastroduodenal ulcers and colon complications. GI malignancy developed in 13 patients (0.9%). The complication rate for the first post-transplantation year was 4.8%. Delayed graft function, high age and polycystic kidney disease were risk factors. Five-year patient survival rate was significantly lower in patients with a first-year complication than in those with later or no GI complications (68% vs 88%). Graft survival with deaths censored was the same in both groups. In conclusion, severe GI complications during the first post-transplantation year remain a high risk factor also for long-term patient survival.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Unit, Helsinki University Hospital, PL 263, 00029, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkio
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Halme
authors.forename: Lauri
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kyllönen
authors.forename: Kaija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salmela
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D007690:Polycystic Kidney Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors