Objective: We conducted this study to determine whether it is justifiable for transplant centers to reject cadaveric donor organs based on marginal organ quality. There is a growing discrepancy between the demand for renal transplants and the number of transplants conducted. For the many patients on the renal transplant waiting list, this translates into increased dialysis-associated morbidity, mortality and a reduced quality of life.
Patients and methods: In our retrospective analysis, we focused on deceased donor kidneys that had been rejected in other transplant centers because of poor organ quality (111 patients) and then accepted for transplantation at our center, compared with a control group consisting of 343 patients.
Results: Cold ischemia time was statistically significantly shorter in the control group (11 vs. 12.5 h, p = 0.005). Also, delayed graft function occurred significantly (p = 0.004) more often in the study group (45.9-30.3%). Parameters regarding perioperative data and recipient outcome did not show significant differences and except for 2 time points at 1 week and 3 months, graft function did not differ either.
Conclusions: We propose that acceptance criteria for marginal donor kidneys should be expanded. Centers should reconsider their acceptance criteria in the light of these findings as the results of these transplantations may even be much better if the delay due to reallocation and retransport can be spared.