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Updated: Jun 25, 2025
A Modified Surgical Technique for Kidney Transplantation in Mice
Published on: July 22, 2022
Impact of early surgical complications on kidney transplant outcomes
Michelle Minkovich1, Nikita Gupta1, Michelle Liu1
1Kidney Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, 585 University Avenue, 9-MaRS-9050, Toronto, ON, M5G 2N2, Canada.
Background:
Kidney transplantation (KT) improves clinical outcomes of patients with end stage renal disease. Little has been reported on the impact of early post-operative surgical complications (SC) on long-term clinical outcomes following KT. We sought to determine the impact of vascular complications, urological complications, surgical site complications, and peri-graft collections within 30 days of transplantation on patient survival, graft function, and hospital readmissions.
Methods:
We conducted a single-centre, observational cohort study examining adult patients (≥ 18 years) who received a kidney transplant from living and deceased donors between January 1st, 2005 and December 31st, 2015 with follow-up until December 31st, 2016 (n = 1,334). Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed with Cox proportional hazards models to analyze the outcomes of SC in the early post-operative period after KT.
Results:
The cumulative probability of SC within 30 days of transplant was 25%, the most common SC being peri-graft collections (66.8%). Multivariable analyses showed significant relationships between Clavien Grade 1 SC and death with graft function (HR 1.78 [95% CI: 1.11, 2.86]), and between Clavien Grades 3 to 4 and hospital readmissions (HR 1.95 [95% CI: 1.37, 2.77]).
Conclusions:
Early SC following KT are common and have a significant influence on long-term patient outcomes.
