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Murine Kidney Transplant Technique
Published on: October 20, 2015
Is there a "weekend effect" in kidney transplantation?
Katharina Schütte-Nütgen1, Gerold Thölking1, Maximilian Dahmen1
1Department of Internal Medicine D, Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
Plos One
|December 29, 2017
Summary
Weekend renal transplantation (RTx) shows similar long-term survival and graft function compared to weekday procedures. However, weekend RTx is associated with a higher rate of surgical complications, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Transplantation Surgery
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- The 'weekend effect' suggests poorer outcomes for hospitalizations occurring on weekends.
- Renal transplantation (RTx) is a complex procedure where timing may influence outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of weekend versus weekday renal transplantation on patient and graft survival, graft function, and complication rates.
- To determine if the 'weekend effect' is present in renal transplantation outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 580 renal transplantations performed between January 2007 and December 2014.
- Comparison of 3-year patient and graft survival, delayed graft function (DGF), acute rejections, 1-year estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and surgical complications between weekday and weekend transplants.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in 3-year patient survival, graft survival, DGF incidence, acute rejection rates, or 1-year eGFR between weekend and weekday RTx.
- Surgical complications were found to be more frequent in patients undergoing renal transplantation on weekends.
Conclusions:
- Weekend renal transplantation does not appear to negatively impact functional short-term or long-term outcomes.
- Standardized protocols in RTx may mitigate the 'weekend effect' on functional outcomes.
- The increased rate of surgical complications after weekend RTx requires further investigation to confirm a 'weekend effect'.
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