Living donor renal transplantation: recent developments and perspectives

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Transplantation Surgery
• Geriatrics

Background:

• End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients face increasing life expectancy and a growing need for renal transplantation.
• Organ donor shortages present significant challenges, leading to prolonged waiting times and reduced graft survival.
• The average age of both kidney donors and recipients is rising due to demographic shifts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore strategies for expanding the kidney donor pool.
• To emphasize the utilization of elderly living donors and transplantation in elderly recipients.
• To address the challenges posed by organ donor shortages in renal transplantation.

Main Methods:

• Review of current practices and literature on kidney donor pool expansion.
• Analysis of outcomes associated with living donor kidney transplantation, including elderly donors and recipients.
• Discussion of evaluation and screening protocols for elderly donors and recipients.

Main Results:

• Increasing living donation frequency is an effective strategy to mitigate donor shortages.
• Living donation offers superior outcomes for recipients and safe long-term results for donors.
• Transplantation in elderly recipients and from elderly donors is viable and preferable to dialysis, with careful evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Multidirectional efforts are needed to expand the donor pool, with a focus on living donation.
• Elderly living donors can be safely utilized, improving access to transplantation for ESRD patients.
• Standardized evaluation and screening are crucial for successful transplantation in elderly donors and recipients.