Pediatric kidney transplantation

Since first performed in 1954, kidney transplantation has evolved as the preferred long-term treatment of children with end stage renal disease (ESRD). The etiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ESRD in children is broad and can be quite complicated, necessitating a multidisciplinary team to adequately care for these patients and their myriad needs. Precise surgical techniques and modern protocols for immunosuppression provide excellent long-term patient and graft survival. This article reviews the many etiologies of renal failure in the pediatric population focusing on those most commonly leading to the need for kidney transplantation. The processes of evaluation, kidney transplantation, short-term and long-term complications, as well as long-term outcomes are also reviewed.