[Combined liver-kidney transplantation: indications and results]

The purpose of this article is to report our experience concerning the indications and results for combined liver-kidney transplantation in our centre.

From July 1991 to October 2006, 26 patients underwent combined liver-kidney transplantation in our establishment. This group comprised 16 men and 10 women with a mean age of 50.1 years (range: 19 to 68 years). The main indications were as follows: hepatorenal polycystic disease, type I hyperoxaluria, cirrhosis associated with end-stage renal failure.

The median follow-up was 62.73 (+/-50.9) months. Only two patients of this series died, one at 70 months from gastric cancer, and the other at 89 months from cerebral metastases. Nine patients developed surgical complications (29%). Liver function was normal in the 24 surviving patients. Only one case of loss of renal graft was observed at 12 years and this patient is currently on dialysis. The mean creatinine level in these patients (apart from the dialysed patient) at the last follow-up visit was 120.3 (+/-30.43)micromol/l.

Combined liver-kidney transplantation can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality and excellent long-term results.