Left ventricle ejection fraction may predict mortality in renal transplant patients

Mortality is a major problem in renal transplant patients, and appropriate preoperative evaluation is very important. We retrospectively reviewed the left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) of renal transplant patients.

The clinical records of 1763 patients who had preoperative LVEF results and who underwent renal transplantation at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine during the years 2004-2014 were studied. The LVEF limit was set at 55%. LVEF, age, gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, type of dialysis were assessed by linear multiple regression analysis on survival.

There were a total of 1763 renal transplant patients. Those with LVEF of <55% were identified as having left ventricular dysfunction. The mean LVEF was 59.4 ± 9.1 in the 43 patients who died after renal transplantation, while it was 62.6 ± 7.4 in the survivors (p = 0.02). The mortality rate in the LVEF < 55% group was 6.8% (11/162 patients), while mortality in the LVEF ≥ 55% group was 2% (32/1601 patients, p < 0.001). LVEF was found to be the most powerful variable on survival by the linear multiple regression analysis, R² = 0.05, p < 0.001.

LVEF may predict mortality in renal transplant patients. LVEF is known to be lower in patients with high cardiac mortality, who may require greater modifications of the postoperative risks.