15-Years Experience with the EUROTRANSPLANT Senior Program.

H.-M. Tautenhahn,¹ S. Brückner,¹ H.-M. Hau,¹ H. Morgül,¹ J. Broschewitz,¹ C. Pipiale,¹ F. Pankow,¹ S. Erler,² M. Bartels.¹

¹Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
²Martin-Luther-Universität Halle, Halle, Germany.

Meeting: 2016 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: B208

Keywords: Age factors, Arteriosclerosis, Kidney, Kidney transplantation

Session Information

Session Name: Poster Session B: Kidney Transplantation: KDPI, HCV/Matching, Donor Age

Session Type: Poster Session

Date: Sunday, June 12, 2016

Session Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm

Presentation Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm

Location: Halls C&D

Introduction: The ESP (Eurotransplant senior program), introduced in 1999 by EUROTRANSPLANT, is supposed to shorten the waiting period for elder recipients. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the results of patients in our transplant unit after kidney transplantation with donor/recipient pairs aged 65 years and older, especially regarding outcome, long-term kidney function and complications.

Methods: Among over 850 kidneys transplanted in our centre, 77 (9.1%) patients exceeded an age of 65 years and were included in the ESP. The median age of the recipients was 68 years (SD ±3.5 years), the one of the donors was 71 years (SD ±4.1 years). The median follow-up-time covered 60 months (SD ±44 months).

Results: In average the time from first dialysis to transplantation was 34 months. By topographic allocation and short shipping ways we reached a minimization of cold ischemia time to 10.5 hours (SD ±3.8 hours). In our study group we detected the following postoperative complications: 15 patients (19.5%) suffered from postoperative bleeding, 5 (5.2%) suffered from graft thrombosis, 22 (28.6%) showed disorders of wound healing, 12 (15.6%) lymphoceles and 2 (2.6%) deep vein thrombosis. After transplantation 16 patients (20.8%) required dialysis again. At the last follow-up the median creatinine level was 195.1 [micro]mol/l (SD ±90.2[micro]mol/l). The survival rate within the median follow-up-time amounted to 66.2%.

Conclusion: In spite of a higher complication rate, caused mainly by atherosclerotic vascular disease in donor as well as in recipient, the patient and transplant survival is comparable with the one from younger patients. Therefore, ESP became routine in our centre. Our results suggest that short cold ischemia time and short waiting time are the main parameters predicting a good patient and transplant survival.

CITATION INFORMATION: Tautenhahn H.-M, Brückner S, Hau H.-M, Morgül H, Broschewitz J, Pipiale C, Pankow F, Erler S, Bartels M. 15-Years Experience with the EUROTRANSPLANT Senior Program. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Tautenhahn H-M, Brückner S, Hau H-M, Morgül H, Broschewitz J, Pipiale C, Pankow F, Erler S, Bartels M. 15-Years Experience with the EUROTRANSPLANT Senior Program. [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2016; 16 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/15-years-experience-with-the-eurotransplant-senior-program/. Accessed May 31, 2025.

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