Comparison of Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Renal Transplantation With Impaired vs Normal Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

Background: Renal transplantation improves long-term outcomes in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD); however, patients with impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) are less likely to be selected for renal transplantation. We sought to evaluate the effect of renal transplantation in this population.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 181 patients who underwent renal transplantation between 2011 and 2016.

New priorities: Analysis of the New Kidney Allocation System on UCLA patients transplanted from the deceased donor waitlist.

UNOS implemented a new Kidney Allocation System (New KAS) on December 4, 2014 with a primary goal of increasing equity to organ transplant for patients that were immunologically or socially disadvantaged by the previous allocation system (Previous KAS) that prioritized long wait times. We examined the effects of the New KAS on patients transplanted from the UCLA deceased donor waitlist during the first year and compared to the last year of the Previous KAS. The total number of deceased donor kidney transplants was increased in the New KAS as compared to the Previous KAS (178 vs 148).

Characterization of ventricular assist device-mediated sensitization in the bridge-to-heart-transplantation patient.

Objective: Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are associated with increased anti-human leukocyte antigen antibody production. The purpose of this study is to characterize differences in sensitization patterns in patients receiving axial flow, implantable VADs versus pulsatile, paracorporeal biventricular assist devices (BIVADs) as bridges to transplantation.

Methods: The study is a retrospective review of 68 patients who were bridged to transplantation with either a VAD or a BIVAD, as described, from January 2007 to June 2010, at a university medical center.