title: Non-heart-beating donors: is it worthwhile?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Due to organ shortage in renal transplantation, many transplant centers attempt to increase the donor pool. Non-heart-beating donors seem to be a promising alternative.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed 14 renal transplantations from 8 non-heart-beating donors. 2, 1, 3 and 2 donors were from groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, according to Maastricht classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 6 of the patients' warm ischemia time was over 30 minutes. Three of them had primary non-function. In 6 patients delayed graft function was seen. The remaining 5 kidneys functioned immediately. Two patients whose kidney functioned returned to hemodialysis in the I I and 13th months after their transplantations. One of the patients with primary non-function died. 9 kidneys function well in their follow-up period between 5-111 months. 1 and 5-year graft survival rates were 69.8 and 61.1 percent, respectively. The mean graft survival time is 69.9 +/- 14.5 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the high primary non-function rate, we think that non-heart-beating donors especially in Maastricht classification 3 and 4 should be used due to dramatic shortage of organs.
authors.affiliation: SSK Tepecik Hospital, Organ Transplantation Unit, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alp
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gurkan
authors.forename: Serdar H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kacar
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Varilsuha
authors.forename: Cezmi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: Sukran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kose
authors.forename: Muharrem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karaoglan
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akman
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Basak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D051799:Delayed Graft Function; D006085:Graft Survival; D006323:Heart Arrest; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D052096:Warm Ischemia