1,000 Consecutive Pancreas-Kidney Transplants at a Single Center with 20 Years’ Follow-up
Hans W Sollinger, *Jon S Odorico, *Yolanda T Becker, Anthony M D'Alessandro, *John D Pirsch
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
OBJECTIVE: To review the results of 1,000 consecutive simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplants performed from December 1985 to December 2007.
METHODS: Bladder drainage was used in 390 (1985-1994) and enteric drainage in 610 (1994-present). More than 98% of all transplants were performed by three surgeons and followed in our clinic. Ninety-nine percent of grafts were procured by the local OPO and preserved in UW solution. Donor age ranged from 3 to 58 years and 56 were from donation after cardiac death (DCD).
RESULTS:
Outcome | Group | Survival | |||
1 Year | 5 Year | 10 Year | 20 Year | ||
Patient survival | All | 96.7 | 88.7 | 79.7 | 57.8 |
Pediatric donor | -- | -- | 85.2 | NA | |
Kidney graft survival | All | 91.4 | 80.2 | 63.4 | 37.8 |
Pediatric donor | -- | -- | 80.1 | NA | |
Pancreas graft survival | All | 87.5 | 76.3 | 63.2 | 36.4 |
Pediatric donor | -- | -- | 72.6 | NA |
Pancreas and kidney survival from DCD donors at 10 years were 60% for the pancreas and 53% for the kidney (p=NS vs. standard donors). Bladder drainage was associated with a high incidence of urinary tract complications requiring 146 (38%) enteric conversions. Major indications included urine leak (34%), hematuria (24%), and recurrent UTI (19%). Induction with basiliximab and maintenance with tacrolimus, EC-MPS and low-dose prednisone proved to be the most successful and best tolerated immunosuppressive regimen. Over the 20-year follow-up, 30.6% of patients required kidney retransplantation, with 100% one-year patient and graft survival.
CONCLUSIONS: Considering that the annual mortality rate of diabetic patients on the wait list is 10.8% (Wolfe RA, N Engl J Med, 1999), a 57.8% survival and freedom from dialysis and insulin injections in more than one-third of patients at 20 years represents a major advance in transplant surgery and medicine.