Renal Function in Receptors With Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplant From the Same Donor

Controversy surrounds the suitability of simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (SLKT) when compared with sequential transplant. Pretransplant renal failure is a post-transplant mortality predictor, and studies demonstrate worse functioning and lower survival of the renal graft when compared with kidney transplant alone (KTA).

This study compares renal function in patients with SLKT and those who received the contralateral kidney from the same donor.

From June 2017 to February 2021, 5 SLKTs were performed in our hospital, and contralateral kidney grafts took place in other Andalusian Modification on Diet in Renal Disease-4 hospitals. Renal function was assessed according to glomerular filtration (GF) by the formula (that uses 4 variables: creatinine, age, sex, and race) during different periods of time; and the average increase of GF during 6 months in both groups was compared. Other factors from donors and receptors were also compared.

No statistically significant differences between average GF in both groups were found; however, there were statistically significant differences when we compared the GF increase 6 months after the transplant in both groups of patients, being that increase higher in patients with KTA.

Despite our small sample size, our study found that patients with SLKT have worse functioning of the kidney graft than those with KTA.