Survival outcomes in renal transplantation in Trinidad and Tobago: SORTTT study.

Objective: To assess patient and graft survival outcomes of renal transplant recipients from the National Organ Transplant Unit, Trinidad and Tobago.

Design And Methods: A retrospective descriptive analysis of renal transplants performed within five and half years (January 2006-June 2011) at the National Organ Transplant Unit was conducted. The age, gender ethnicity, cause of renal failure, donor type, outcome and complications were examined. The one, two and three-year patient and graft survival rates were analysed and factors affecting them were discussed.

Results: A total of 73 renal transplantations were done. Seventy (95.9%) were from live donors and 3 (4.1%) from deceased donors. Thirty-eight patients (52.1%) were males and 35 (47.9%) were females. The one-year, two-year and three-year patient survival rates were 91.46% (SE 0.04), 89.51% (SE 0.04) and 86.31% (SE 0.05), respectively. The one-year graft survival rate was 94.34% (SE 0.03). The two-year and three-year graft survival rates were the same at 92.69% (SE 0.03). The most significant complications seen in the recipients were those related to infections and cardiovascular disease: 47.9% of patients had a urinary tract infection, with the majority occurring at twelve months and 32.5% developed dyslipidaemia for the first time at six months. Seven patients developed erythrocytosis.

Conclusion: The patient and graft survival rates in this new transplant programme are acceptable. Complications which can occur in transplant recipients are common and have a significant impact on post-transplantation quality of life and survival. Thus, continuing assessment of co-morbid factors pre and post-transplantation as well as the analysis of donor and recipient factors will lead to an increase in both patient and graft survival.