Strategies for reducing the renal transplant waiting list: a review

Renal transplant is the optimum form of therapy for most patients with end-stage renal failure, because that treatment results in a significant improvement in the patient's quality of life and is cost-effective. The exponential increase in the number of patients on the renal transplant waiting list globally has become a serious problem fueled by an increase in the number of patients with end-stage renal disease, the shortage of organs for transplant, and the failure of transplanted kidneys for various reasons. Strategies are being used by transplant professionals to retard the progression of chronic kidney disease, increase organ donation, reduce the acute rejection rate, and prevent transplant losses. This paper provides an up-to-date review of the interventional strategies used to reduce the ever-increasing renal transplant waiting list.