Marginal Donors in Renal Transplantation

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Transplantation Medicine
• Organ Donation

Background:

• End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing, but kidney transplant numbers are stagnant.
• A significant gap exists between ESRD patients awaiting transplantation and available donor organs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the short- and long-term outcomes of using marginal donor kidneys in renal transplantation.
• To summarize recent literature on the benefits and drawbacks of expanded criteria kidney transplantation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of recent literature on marginal kidney donor types.
• Focus on suboptimal grafts from cadaveric, non-heart-beating, or living donors with specific risk factors (e.g., age, comorbidities, history of malignancy).

Main Results:

• Use of suboptimal kidneys can lead to delayed graft function and graft failure.
• Literature reports on expanded criteria kidney transplantation outcomes are often contradictory.
• This review synthesizes both positive and negative outcomes from marginal kidney donations.

Conclusions:

• Informed consent regarding potential risks is crucial for patients and living donors.
• Transplantation with suboptimal kidneys can be a beneficial alternative for select ESRD patients.