Kidney transplant utilising donors after circulatory death: The first report from the African continent

At Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, the number of deceased organ donors has declined over the past 2 decades, necessitating a more liberal approach to donor selection. In 2007, measures to expand the deceased kidney donor pool were implemented, including an HIV positive-to-positive transplant programme and the utilisation of extended-criteria donors as well as donors after circulatory death (DCDs).

To report on our institutional experience with DCD kidney transplants and to encourage this approach among other African centres to improve access to transplantation.

An observational cohort study of consecutive DCD kidney transplants at Groote Schuur Hospital over a 17-year period was performed. Primary endpoints were 1-, 2- and 5-year graft and patient survival. Secondary endpoints included the incidence of delayed graft function (DGF), 30-day morbidity, length of stay, and donor and recipient clinical characteristics.

Fifteen DCD procurements were performed, with no kidneys discarded. Thirty kidney transplants were performed, with a median (interquartile range) cold ischaemic time of 11.5 (8 - 14) hours. The incidence of DGF was 60.0%, and 30-day morbidity (other than DGF) was 20.0%. Graft survival at 1, 2 and 5 years was 100%, 96.0% and 73.7%, respectively. Patient survival at 1, 2 and 5 years was 93.3%, 93.3% and 88.4%, respectively.

Long-term graft and patient survival was comparable with the international literature. DCD may present a unique opportunity to expand deceased donation throughout Africa, particularly in areas affected by a lack of brain death legislation and religious or cultural objections to donation after brain death.