Costs of Post-Renal Transplant Care in the Final Period of Graft Function

Abstract

Introduction: Except for benefits in survival and quality of life, renal transplantation is considered a method that is cheaper compared to alternative modalities of renal replacement therapy; it is thought that, after the first post-transplant year, costs of care decrease and then remain relatively low. However, over time, health problems accumulate in transplant recipients, which may be connected to increased costs of care. In this study, we attempted to verify whether costs of care actually remain low until the graft loss.

Material and methods: This study included 20 renal transplant recipients with grafts functioning at least 5 years post transplant who were managed in our transplant center and who lost their transplants in 2017 or 2018. Costs of post-renal transplant care in consecutive years post transplant were retrospectively assessed in these cases. Direct costs of inpatient as well as outpatient care, from the perspective of a transplant center, were considered.

Results: This study included 8 (40%) men and 12 (60%) women. A significant increase in costs of care was observed in the final period of graft function at least in the year of graft loss. It was observed both in those who lost the transplant because of the graft failure and in those who died with a functioning graft. However, despite this increase, mean costs of post-transplant care in the last 6 years of graft function remained lower compared to hemodialysis.

Conclusions: Despite the increase in costs of post-renal transplant care observed in the final period of graft function, treatment with renal transplantation remains cheaper compared with hemodialysis.