Living emotionally related renal transplantation (LERT)--single center experience in the Balkans

As elsewhere, the growing organ shortage is a main problem for organ transplantation. To solve the problem, we started accepting genetically unrelated, but emotionally related living donors.

In the period of 1998-2002, 14 LERT are performed in the University Clinical Centre in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. As suitable donors are used predominantly spouses, but also mother and brother in law. The immunosuppression included a quadruple protocol with Interleukin-2R antagonists, late cyclosporin A, MMF and steroids. The two-year graft and patients survival of LERT was compared with 22 living genetically related donor transplantation (LRT) performed in the same time.

The two years graft survival was 100% in LERT and 92% in LRT. There are not any significant difference among the medical and surgical complications between the two groups of pts. The actual serum creatinin was 101+22 in LERT compared with 142+34 in LRT.

The authors recommend the LERT as a valid alternative especially in the countries where the regular cadaver transplantation is not yet established.