Laparoscopic (vs open) live donor nephrectomy: a UNOS database analysis of early graft function and survival.

The impact of laparoscopic (lap) live donor nephrectomy on early graft function and survival remains controversial. We compared 2734 kidney transplants (tx) from lap donors and 2576 tx from open donors reported to the U.S.

Mortality in candidates waiting for combined liver-intestine transplants exceeds that for other candidates waiting for liver transplants.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) reports indicate that mortality on the intestine transplant waiting list is higher than on other transplant waiting lists. The goals of this study were (1) to determine whether most of the intestinal transplant candidate deaths have occurred in those who also need liver transplants, and (2) to compare the waiting list mortality in the liver-intestine candidate subset with the overall liver transplant candidate population. We found that 90% of intestine transplant waiting list deaths have occurred in candidates who also needed liver transplants.

Impact of acute rejection episodes on long-term graft survival following simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation.

Although it is well established that acute rejection is one of the major risk factors for chronic graft loss following kidney transplantation, its effect on long-term graft survival following simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplants (SKPTs) is less well known. We analyzed a large cohort of SKPTs and cadaver kidney transplants reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing database during 1988-97, to determine the impact of acute rejection episodes on long-term kidney and pancreas graft survival. Only patients whose kidney and pancreas grafts had survived for at least 1 year were included.