Survival outcomes in renal transplantation in Trinidad and Tobago: SORTTT study

To assess patient and graft survival outcomes of renal transplant recipients from the National Organ Transplant Unit, Trinidad and Tobago.

A retrospective descriptive analysis of renal transplants performed within five and half years (January 2006-June 2011) at the National Organ Transplant Unit was conducted. The age, gender ethnicity, cause of renal failure, donor type, outcome and complications were examined. The one, two and three-year patient and graft survival rates were analysed and factors affecting them were discussed.

A total of 73 renal transplantations were done. Seventy (95.9%) were from live donors and 3 (4.1%) from deceased donors. Thirty-eight patients (52.1%) were males and 35 (47.9%) were females. The one-year, two-year and three-year patient survival rates were 91.46% (SE 0.04), 89.51% (SE 0.04) and 86.31% (SE 0.05), respectively. The one-year graft survival rate was 94.34% (SE 0.03). The two-year and three-year graft survival rates were the same at 92.69% (SE 0.03). The most significant complications seen in the recipients were those related to infections and cardiovascular disease: 47.9% of patients had a urinary tract infection, with the majority occurring at twelve months and 32.5% developed dyslipidaemia for the first time at six months. Seven patients developed erythrocytosis.

The patient and graft survival rates in this new transplant programme are acceptable. Complications which can occur in transplant recipients are common and have a significant impact on post-transplantation quality of life and survival. Thus, continuing assessment of co-morbid factors pre and post-transplantation as well as the analysis of donor and recipient factors will lead to an increase in both patient and graft survival.