Abstract
Seventy two renal transplant recipients who had received lying related kidney transplants 10 or more years previously were studied to determine the outcome and the major factors responsible for the improved graft survival. Of 72 cases, 57 patients and 39 grafts survived for more than 10 years. So actual patient and graft survivals were 79% and 54%, respectively, at 10 years. A preoperative contributing factor for prolonged graft survival was a donor age of less than 50 years. Post-operatively chronic rejection was the major cause of later graft loss. Patients with grafts surviving over 10 years have few life-threatening complications. However, 6 patients developed liver dysfunction. Some of these were accompanied with liver cirrhosis or esophageal varices.
To evaluate the degree of patient rehabilitation, questionnaires were administered to 154 patients with grafts functioning more than one year. Full-time employment, housework and schooling was attained by 137 of the 154 patients (89%) following transplantation. The mean working hours was 8.5±1.4 hours a day and the mean holiday was 1.2±0.4 days a week. More than 90% of patients considered that health and activity similar to the pre-illness level was achieved by kidney transplantation.
Hence most recipients of kidney transplants who maintain stable renal functions can expect an almost normal level of physical activity and enjoy their life of the pre-illness level of activity.
