NIV Congres

Introduction Whether or not to remove a failed renal graft has been subject of much debate. One reason for a cautious approach to graft removal is its high morbidity and mortality rates. We analyzed the morbidity, mortality and risk factors of transplant nephrectomy at our center.

Methods We included 157 cases of transplant nephrectomy in 143 patients, performed between January 2000 and May 2012. Patient data were collected retrospectively.

Results A total of 32 surgical complications occurred after transplant nephrectomy (20%) and 16 patients needed surgical re-intervention (10%). Haemorrhage and infection are the most frequent causes of surgical complications (14%). The mortality rate was 3.2%. There were no significant differences in respect to characteristics and timing of transplant nephrectomy between the group with surgical complications and the group without. A total of 59 re-transplantations were performed in 57 patients (38%).

Conclusions Transplant nephrectomy is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. We found no significant risk factors for surgical complications following transplant nephrectomy and no significant association between timing of transplant nephrectomy and surgical complications. Steps to reduce these complications need further investigation.