The influence of donor age on graft survival

Recent papers report differing conclusions concerning use of kidneys from different donor age groups. We analyzed graft survival of 652 consecutive cadaver kidney donor-recipient pairs. Overall cumulative graft survival was 45 per cent at two years post transplantation. Kidneys from donors aged less that fifteen, sixteen to thirty. thirty-one to forty-five, and forty-six to sixty years had a cumulative graft survival of 51, 44, 39, and 40 percent, respectively. The difference is not statistically significant. When both donor and recipient ages are controlled, the pediatric aged kidney may be superior in the pediatric recipient or the older normotensive adult recipient. Use of properly selected cadaver kidneys in patients of all age ranges is encouraged.