2013 Volume 1 Issue 2 Pages 159-165
The number of living donor kidney transplants has been increasing since the introduction of new immunosuppressive drugs such as calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate mofetil and basiliximab in Japan. On the other hand, that of deceased donor transplants has remained about 200 in a year in these 30 years. In 2012, 1,610 transplants including 1,417 from living donor and 193 from deceased donor transplants were performed. The expanding indications for transplantation in various aspects, such as elderly recipients and donors, spouse donors, ABO incompatible transplants, diabetic recipients and preemptive transplants have contributed to the increasing number of living donor transplants. The patient and graft survivals are superior in living donor transplants followed by brain dead donor and non-heart beating donor transplants. An increase in the number of deceased donors is now essential in the field of transplantation in Japan.
