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The living, related kidney donor: a follow‐up study
Author(s) -
Liounis Betty,
Roy L. Paul,
Thompson John F.,
May James,
Sheil A.G. Ross
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1988.tb139566.x
Subject(s) - medicine , donation , creatinine , urinary system , transplantation , kidney transplantation , perioperative , nephrectomy , surgery , kidney , economics , economic growth
Thirty‐eight children received 41 living‐donor kidney transplants in an 11‐year period; 73% of the grafts are functioning well. The parents of the recipients were the usual donors (60% of the donors were mothers and 25% of the donors were fathers); however, there were five donations from siblings and one donation from a donor who was related emotionally to the recipient. The most frequent perioperative complications were respiratory but these were not serious and did not cause any long‐term sequelae. The principal long‐term complications that related to — or were perceived by the donor as being related to — the procedure were incisional pain (20% of donors) and depression (25% of donors). These were not related to the success or otherwise of the transplantation. At follow‐up, five (12%) donors had diastolic blood pressure levels of greater than 90 mmHg or were receiving antihypertensive therapy; this prevalence is similar to that which is found in the community. Two donors had urinary protein excretion rates of greater than 200 mg/24 h (210 mg/24 h and 350 mg/24 h, respectively). Creatinine clearance rates fell by 15% in women and by 5% in men. Serum creatinine levels had risen by 40% in men and by 35% in women after the nephrectomy; these levels had changed little at follow‐up. All donors said that they would have proceeded with the donation even with foreknowledge of what they would experience during and after the donation. Living‐donor renal transplantation is a procedure with very low but definite operative risks which nevertheless provides a means for the early effective replacement of renal function in children with growth potential. The donors are enabled to make a major contribution to the life and well‐being of the child, and they regard the perioperative complications as minimal. There do not appear to be any serious long‐term complications of renal donation.