Chronic viral hepatitis in renal transplant recipients with allografts functioning for more than 20 years.

Background: The impact of infection with hepatotropic viruses (hepatitis B virus [HBV] and hepatitis C virus [HCV]) on morbidity and mortality, and allograft function in renal transplant recipients with allografts functioning for >20 years is not known.

Methods And Results: Seventy-nine of 511 renal transplants performed at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from January 1963 to January 1978 are known to have functioned for at least 20 years (level 5A). Fifty-four of these patients had hepatitis testing updated after their 19th year of transplantation.

The fate of renal allografts functioning for a minimum of 20 years (level 5A)--indefinite success or beginning of the end? A proposed classification of long-term allograft survivals.

Fifty-five renal allografts (44 from living-related and 11 from cadaver donors) that have functioned for at least 20 years (mean 22.9 +/- 2.3, range 20.

Changing demographics in renal transplant recipients: the 30 year Cleveland Clinic experience.

While it does appear that the most recent era of transplantation has not resulted in significant improvement in long-term allograft function, this appears to be due, at least in part, to the transplantation of increasing numbers of high-risk patients. It is noted that the improved results accomplished over prior eras of transplantation have been maintained despite the inclusion of these high-risk patients. Patients currently undergoing transplantation are more likely to be older, diabetic, obese or African American.

Perioperative management of 63 patients with pheochromocytoma.

During a 10-year period, 60 patients with confirmed diagnoses of pheochromocytoma underwent a total of 63 surgical procedure. To control extreme blood pressure elevations, 6 patients received phenoxybenzamine preoperatively and 28 patients received prazosin. The remaining 29 patients received neither drug.

Outcome of renal transplantation in patients with a functioning graft for 20 years or more.

In the present study long-term morbidity, quality of life and over-all rehabilitation were assessed in 14 patients with a functioning renal allograft for 20 years or longer. Followup ranged from 20 to 27 years (mean 22.5 years).

The role of renal autotransplantation in complex urological reconstruction.

From 1972 to 1988, 108 patients underwent renal autotransplantation for renal artery disease (67), ureteral replacement (27), or renal cell carcinoma present bilaterally or in a solitary kidney (14). The most common indication for renal autotransplantation was to allow extracorporeal repair of complex branch renal artery lesions. Of the 54 patients in this group technically satisfactory branch renal arterial reconstruction and a successful clinical outcome were achieved in 52 (96%).

Experience with extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma.

From 1955 to 1985, 20 patients presented with a total of 22 extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas (2 had multiple tumors and 2 had a malignant extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma). There were 13 male and 7 female patients, and the highest incidence was in the second decade. Although most patients presented with symptoms typical of pheochromocytoma, several presented with unusual features related to the anatomical location, such as mediastinal mass (chest tumor), upper airway obstruction (neck tumor) or gross hematuria (bladder tumor).

Operative approaches to the adrenal gland.

Various adrenal disorders necessitate surgical intervention, and familiarity with adrenal pathophysiology and surgical anatomy is crucial to the success of these procedures. A number of operative approaches--anterior, posterior, flank, and thoracoabdominal--are available; the choice must be made on the basis of the patient's adrenal pathology, body habitus, and surgical history as well as the surgeon's experience and familiarity with the different options.

The Cleveland Clinic experience with adrenal cortical carcinoma.

Between 1936 and 1987, 82 patients with adrenal cortical carcinoma were seen at our clinic. Of these patients 49 (72 per cent) have been seen during the last 25 years. A total of 40 patients (48.

Posterior transthoracic approach for adrenal surgery.

We present a modification of the posterior surgical approach for adrenalectomy wherein the pleura and diaphragm are directly incised to expose the adrenal gland. This technique has been used in 20 patients undergoing adrenalectomy for hyperplasia or a small benign adenoma. In our series chest tube drainage usually was not necessary, operative morbidity was minimal and most patients were discharged from the hospital within 1 week postoperatively.

Stomal complications of intestinal conduit urinary diversion.

Intestinal conduits of the ileum, colon, or jejunum were used for urinary diversion in 319 patients at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation between 1970 and 1981 due to pelvic malignancy , primary bladder cancer, or benign conditions. End stomas were constructed in 65% and Turnbull loop stomas in 35%. Follow-up ranged from one to 152 months (median, 35 months).

Conservative surgery for transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis.

From 1972 to 1986, 14 patients underwent a conservative operation for transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis. Most of these patients had low grade (12), noninvasive (10) tumors involving a solitary functioning kidney (12). The operations performed were open pyelotomy with tumor excision and fulguration (8 patients), partial nephrectomy (5) and percutaneous nephroscopic fulguration (1).

Management of locally recurrent renal cell carcinoma after partial nephrectomy.

While partial nephrectomy can provide effective treatment for selected patients with renal cell carcinoma, postoperative local tumor recurs in approximately 10 per cent of the cases. We describe 4 patients in whom tumor recurred in a solitary renal remnant after partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma 1 to 6 years previously. The original tumor was pathological stage I in 2 patients and stage III in 2.

Cutaneous ureterostomy as palliative diversion in adults with malignancy.

Over a twenty-one-year period (1963-1984) 46 patients underwent a permanent urinary diversion using cutaneous ureterostomy. Thirty-seven of these patients had this method of diversion employed as palliation for pelvic malignancies. In 70 per cent of the patients diversion was done secondary to ureteral obstruction and in the other patients because of either severe lower urinary tract symptoms or a failed alternate form of diversion.

Long-term results with renal autotransplantation for ureteral replacement.

From 1970 to 1984 renal autotransplantation was performed on 23 patients to replace all or a major portion of the ureter. The conditions necessitating ureteral replacement were postoperative ureteral injury in 16 cases, recurrent renal colic in 4, urinary undiversion in 2 and an atonic ureter in 1. Six patients presented with a solitary kidney and 1 underwent staged bilateral autotransplantation.

Augmentation cystoplasty.

Augmentation cystoplasty is a useful adjunct to the surgical management of patients with a small contracted bladder. Although more conservative alternatives should be tried initially, augmentation cystoplasty will increase the volume and capacity of the bladder and may achieve an excellent result. This procedure must be used in properly selected patients with a full understanding of the indications, techniques, and complications.

Jejunal conduit urinary diversion.

The clinical course of 14 patients undergoing jejunal conduit urinary diversion between 1971 and 1985 is reviewed. Indications for use of jejunum rather than ileum or colon for diversion included radiation changes of the ileum, concurrent colonic neoplasms or injury, concerns about collateral blood supply of the colon and multiple adhesions. There were 2 operative deaths.