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Leveraging marginal structural modeling with Cox regression to assess the survival benefit of accepting vs declining kidney allograft offers
Author(s) -
Cohen Jordana B.,
Potluri Vishnu,
Porrett Paige M.,
Chen Ruohui,
Roselli Marielle,
Shults Justine,
Sawinski Deirdre L.,
Reese Peter P.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
american journal of transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1600-6143
pISSN - 1600-6135
DOI - 10.1111/ajt.15290
Subject(s) - medicine , hazard ratio , kidney transplantation , proportional hazards model , confidence interval , transplantation , organ transplantation , kidney , united network for organ sharing , intensive care medicine , emergency medicine , liver transplantation
Existing studies evaluating the survival benefit of kidney transplantation were unable to incorporate time–updated information on decisions related to each organ offer. We used national registry data, including organ turndown data, to evaluate the survival benefit of accepting vs turning down kidney offers in candidates waitlisted from 2007‐2013. Among candidates who declined their first offer, only 43% ultimately received organ transplantations. Recipients who later underwent organ transplantation after declining their first offer had markedly longer wait times than recipients who accepted their first offer, and 56% received kidney transplants that were of similar or lower quality compared to their initial offer. In marginal structural modeling analyses accounting for time‐updated offer characteristics (including Kidney Donor Profile Index, Public Health System risk status, and pumping), after 3 months posttransplant, there was a significant survival benefit of accepting an offer (adjusted hazard ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.66‐0.89) that was similar among diabetics, candidates aged >65 years, and candidates living in donor service areas with the longest waitlist times. After carefully accounting for the effect of donor quality, we confirm that the survival benefit of accepting an organ offer is clinically meaningful and persistent beyond 3 months post–kidney transplantation, including high‐risk subgroups of organ transplantation candidates.