Clostridial infection in a liver transplant recipient.

Clostridium perfringens infection in a liver transplant recipient is a rare complication. We report a case of a liver allograft gas gangrene. The case illustrates the fulminant and rapidly devastating course of this complication.

The changing causes of graft loss and death after kidney transplantation.

Background: The results of kidney transplantation have improved markedly over the last three decades. Despite this, patients still lose grafts and die. We sought to determine whether the causes of graft loss and death have changed over the last 30 years.

Hepatic vein reconstruction for resection of hepatic tumors.

Summary Background Data: Involvement of the hepatic veins requiring reconstruction has traditionally been considered a contraindication to resection for advanced tumors of the liver because the surgical risks are high and the long-term prognosis poor. Recent advances in liver surgery gleaned from split and live donor liver transplantation that necessitate hepatic vein reconstruction can be applied to hepatic resection in some cases.

Methods: Sixteen patients who underwent hepatic resection requiring hepatic vein reconstruction from 1996-2001 were reviewed.

Obesity does not portend a bad outcome for kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Kidney transplant programs may avoid transplantation in obese patients because of reports indicating that obese patients have poorer outcomes than do nonobese patients. We recently reviewed our experience.

Methods: Patients receiving a kidney transplant between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 1999 were divided according to body mass index (BMI): group 1, BMI<25 (n=457); group 2, BMI> or =25 and <30 (n=278); and group 3, BMI> or =35 (n=98).