Kidney transplantation

Renal transplantation is well established as the treatment of choice for selected patients with end-stage renal failure. A renal transplant recipient can enjoy an improved quality of life whilst benefiting from a reduction in the mortality compared with long-term dialysis. However, the success of transplantation is limited by the disparity between an ever-growing demand and an insufficient supply of organs. Expansion of the organ donor pool has been achieved through increased utilization of living donor kidneys, transplantation across HLA and ABO boundaries as well as a greater acceptance and consideration of more marginal kidneys from deceased donors. Whilst one-year graft survival rates are significantly higher than a decade ago, the rate of chronic graft loss after the first year remains substantial. Although the surgical procedure has changed little over many years, recipients have certainly become more complex with increasing age, obesity, comorbidity and repeat transplants.