Prognostic Value of Hemoglobin Concentration and Graft Vein Blood Oxygenation on Renal Transplant Outcomes.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate vein blood gas levels in the transplanted kidney during surgery as a predictive factor for delayed graft function after renal transplant.

Materials And Methods: Sixty patients with renal transplant were enrolled in our study from January 2015 to January 2016. After vessels were declamped posttransplant, blood samples from the transplanted kidney veins were taken and acidosis and oxygenation in these samples were measured. Patients were classified based on acidosis and oxygenation of grafted vein and also hemoglobin concentration. We compared delayed graft function in recipients with acidosis versus normal pH, hypoxia versus normal oxygenation, and hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL versus more than 10 g/dL.

Results: Of 60 patients, 6 (10%) experienced delayed graft function and needed hemodialysis. All patients needing hemodialysis were in the acidotic and hypoxic patient groups. Five of six recipients with delayed graft function had hemoglobin concentration < 10 g/dL. Hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with hypoxia, acidosis, and anemia.

Conclusions: Vein blood gas measurements of the grafted renal vein during surgery can be easily obtained and applied as a prognostic factor for delayed graft function.