Objectives: To evaluate the functional results and incidence of complications in a series of pediatric renal transplants using grafts from pediatric donors under 3 years of age.
Methods: We review a serious of 19 renal transplants consecutively performed in pediatric receptors with donors under the age of 3 years. We analyze immediate function, medical and surgical complications, and long and mid-term graft and patient survivals.
Results: We observed initial graft dysfunction in 9 patients (47.4%). Six patients had vascular complications (31.5%). More vascular complications appeared in kidneys preserved with EC solution (35.3%) in comparison with UW solution (23.5%) (p < 0.05). 1, 5, 10, and 12 year actuarial graft survivals were 57.8%, 41.4%, 35.5% and 35.5%, respectively. Based on preservation solution, 1, 5, and 10 year actuarial graft survivals for EC were 44%, 33% and 16%, respectively; results improved with UW solution up to 60%, 50%, and 50% respectively (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Kidneys from donors under the age of the 3 years in pediatric receptors suffer a high incidence of vascular complications offering a low graft survival on the long-term, being these facts more evident when simpler preservation solutions are employed.