title: Kidney transplantation at Annunziata Hospital of Cosenza: report of 10 years experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Kidney transplantation represents the gold standard for treatment of patients with end-stage renal disease. Herein we sought to report our 10-year experience with cadaveric kidney transplantations.
  
  
  METHODS
  From February 1995 to September 2008, we performed 115 kidney transplantations. Patients were followed for an average of 4.9 years (range, 2.2-10.6 years). The cold ischemia time (CIT) averaged 13 +/- 3 hours, while the mean warm ischemic time was 25 +/- 10 minutes. The ureteral-bladder anastomosis was performed using Bracci catheters in the first series of 72 transplants, and double-J stents in the other 41 cases. The average waiting time was 122 +/- 21 months. The immunological regimens were prescribed according to the American Society of Nephrology (K/DOQI) with reference to comorbidity and concomitant risk factors and reported drug toxicity events. We transplanted kidneys with anatomic variations, ie, multiple arteries and double veins, and one double transplant of marginal organs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our overall complication rate was 9.18%. The 10-year patient and graft survival rates were 89% and 84%, respectively. The percentage of biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes was 22.16%, while chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) accounted for 15.3% at 5 years. The incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) was 14.05%. Finally, we noted 3 cases of cardiovascular death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our experience showed excellent patient outcomes compared with other Italian and European data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, HepatoBilioPancreatic Surgery and Transplant Unit, Annunziata Hospital, Cosenza, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vaccarisi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barcellona
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cannistrà
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canonaco
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzuti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tortorella
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papalia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonofiglio
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nardo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050377:Cold Ischemia; D051799:Delayed Graft Function / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult