The living, related kidney donor: a follow-up study

Abstract

Thirty-eight children received 41 living-donor kidney transplants in an 11-year period; 73% of the grafts are functioning well. The parents of the recipients were the usual donors (60% of the donors were mothers and 25% of the donors were fathers); however, there were five donations from siblings and one donation from a donor who was related emotionally to the recipient. The most frequent perioperative complications were respiratory but these were not serious and did not cause any long-term sequelae. The principal long-term complications that related to--or were perceived by the donor as being related to--the procedure were incisional pain (20% of donors) and depression (25% of donors). These were not related to the success or otherwise of the transplantation. At follow-up, five (12%) donors had diastolic blood pressure levels of greater than 90 mmHg or were receiving antihypertensive therapy; this prevalence is similar to that which is found in the community. Two donors had urinary protein excretion rates of greater than 200 mg/24 h (210 mg/24 h and 350 mg/24 h, respectively). Creatinine clearance rates fell by 15% in women and by 5% in men. Serum creatinine levels had risen by 40% in men and by 35% in women after the nephrectomy; these levels had changed little at follow-up. All donors said that they would have proceeded with the donation even with fore-knowledge of what they would experience during and after the donation. Living-donor renal transplantation is a procedure with very low but definite operative risks which nevertheless provides a means for the early effective replacement of renal function in children with growth potential. The donors are enabled to make a major contribution to the life and well-being of the child, and they regard the perioperative complications as minimal. There do not appear to be any serious long-term complications of renal donation.