Effect of Post-Transplant Cardiac Angiographic Procedures on Post-Transplant Renal Function

Cardiac interventions often are performed before and after renal transplant for coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether post-transplant cardiac coronary procedures affect post-transplant renal function.

We retrospectively included renal transplant recipients who underwent renal transplant procedures at Baskent University between April 28, 1997 and January 20, 2020. We analyzed the effect of cardiac catheterization in renal transplant recipients between 6 and 12 months post-transplant with post-transplant renal function assessed by glomerular filtration rate (GFR). We compared the effect of the type of coronary intervention on GFR change in group 1, whereby group 1 was divided into 2 subgroups (coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG] and stenting). Group 1 included patients who underwent cardiac intervention, whereas group 2 included those who had not undergone cardiac intervention.

In all, 108 patients underwent coronary angiography; 45 (41.7%) had normal coronaries or minimal coronary artery disease (CAD); 37 (34.3%) underwent stent implantation; 26 (24.1%) underwent CABG. The mean post- transplantation GFR of all patients after cardiac catheterization was 84.26+25.91 (mL/min/1.73 m²). The final, after 12 months mean GFR of all patients was 69.55+27.05. The final GFR was significantly lower than the initial post-renal GFR value in patients who underwent cardiac intervention but not in non-intervened patients.

Invasive cardiac revascularization procedures showed a negative effect on post-transplant renal function in renal transplant recipients. All renal transplant recipients who underwent cardiac intervention survived the intervention, and there was no mortality. The reason for this outcome was assumed to be because of the short follow-up period.