Short Term Outcomes of Recipients Transplanted With Machine Perfused Kidneys From Elderly Donors After Circulatory Death (DCD)

Background: The use of the elderly (age>60 years) DCD donors in UK is rising in recent years. Hypothermic pulsatile machine perfusion of donor kidneys results in lower incidence as well as duration of DGF. The use and potential benefit of machine perfusion of kidneys retrieved from elderly DCD donors is not well established. Aim: To investigate the impact of hypothermic pulsatile machine perfusion on short term outcome of recipient transplanted with kidneys from elderly DCD donors. Material and methods: From 10/2009 to 06/2013 sixty patients were transplanted with kidneys from DCD donors which were machine perfused prior the implantation. Recipients were grouped in two groups. Group A: donor age< 60 years and Group B: donor age>60years. Donor and recipient characteristics, renal function, 1 year patient and graft survival and perfusion characteristics were compared between the two groups. Continuous variables were compared using student's t-test and categorical variables using Fisher's exact test. Results: The overall DGF rate in patients transplanted with kidneys from DCD donors decreased to 28% compare to 40% prior the machine perfusion era.Table: No Caption available.Summary: The overall DGF rate is decreased using machine perfusion to 28%. The short term results of recipients transplanted with kidneys from elderly and younger donors are comparable. The beneficial effect of machine perfusion on donor kidneys retrieved from elderly DCD donors is worth future studies.