A single-center 4-year experience with 47 pediatric renal transplants: Evolving trends

Outcome of pediatric kidney transplantation (KT) has improved over the last several decades. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes pediatric KT in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Between May 2013 and November 2016, we performed renal transplantation in 47 children, 30 (64%) males, and 17 (36%) females. All patients received antibody induction with basiliximab or antithymocyte globulin along with triple immunosuppressive therapy with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and steroids. Twenty-four (51%) and 14 (30%) patients were on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, respectively. Average duration on dialysis was 18.3 months. Nine patients (19%) had preemptive transplant. Forty-five patients (95.7%) received kidneys from living donors, 38 (83%) males and nine (17%) females, mean age (years), and body mass index were 30.8 ± 8.82 and 23.8 ± 4.54, respectively. Forty-one donors had left nephrectomy. Four right nephrectomies were reported, all of them were through open nephrectomy. Open nephrectomy was reported in 21 (46%) patients. Several laparoscopic nephrectomy techniques were performed; conventional laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, laparo-endoscopic single-site donor nephrectomy, and hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery in 10, 11, and three patients, respectively. The most common etiologies of end-stage renal disease were focal segmental glomerulosclerosis 19%, posterior urethral valve 8.5%, and congenital abnormalities 8.5% respectively. With a mean follow-up of 54 months, one and 4-year graft survival rates were 95.7% and 91.5%, respectively. One-and four-year patient survival rates were 100%. Outcomes were similar in patients < or ≥10 years. The graft survival was comparable in laparoscopic versus open donor nephrectomy (P = 0.72). Average serum creatinine was 0.85, 0.79, 0.79, and 0.84 at 7, 30, 90, 365 days, respectively. Four patients lost their graft due to renal vein thrombosis, chronic allograft nephropathy (cadaveric donor), Antibody-mediated rejection, and hemolytic-uremic syndrome at 0.75, 9, 19, and 24 months, respectively. The incidences of acute rejection and major infection were 2% and 4%, respectively. One patient developed posttransplant lympho-proliferative disease that was treated and is still with excellent graft function. Our pediatric KT experience is encouraging. Acute rejection, patient, and graft survival rates are similar and even better than many of western reports.