Living donor kidney transplantation: the donor profile in Trinidad and Tobago

The National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU) of Trinidad and Tobago, first implemented in January 2006, was mandated to facilitate renal and corneal transplantation. Since then, 60 transplants have been performed utilizing living kidney donors. The aim of this study is to ascertain the typical donor profile and to highlight the safety involved with live kidney donation.

This descriptive study utilized the medical records of 60 consecutive live kidney donors between the period January 2006 and May 2010. Donor information was recorded on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences 12.0.

Among the 60 donors, males and females were in equal proportions with a mean age of 35.0 (+/- 10.7) years; a mean body mass index (BMI) of 25.8 (+/- 4.2) kg/m2 and 48.3% were of East Indian decent. The majority of donors were related to the recipient (71.7%). At donation, the mean creatinine was 84.9 (+/- 17.7) micromol/L, average urine creatinine clearance, 1.83 (+/- 0.53) mL/s and mean 24 hour urine protein, 141.8 (+/- 78.6) mg. There was a significant association between the BMI at donation and proteinuria one year after donation (p = 0.043). The average hospital stay was 5.0 (+/- 0.95) days with minimal postoperative complications.

The typical live kidney donor in Trinidad and Tobago is a 35-year-old, slightly overweight male or female who is usually of East Indian decent, donating a kidney to a relative. Living kidney donation in this transplant unit is safe with minimal short-term complications.