Long-Term Follow-up Results of Living Kidney Donors: 20 Years of Experience

Objective: We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the follow-up results of living kidney donors (LKD) at our center since 1997.

Materials and Methods: LKD instances between 1997 and 2016 were evaluated. Followed-up by at least one year post-donation were included. The criterion for progression in renal failure (RF) was more than 25% reduction in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The cases were divided into two groups: Group 1 (GFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m²) and Group 2 (GFR≥60 mL/min/1.73 m²) according to the GFR values obtained at the last follow-up.

Results: In this study, 205 cases were included. The mean follow-up period was 57±46 (12–215) months. The prevalence of hypertension (all of them were stage 1) and diabetes (83.3% of them were new diagnosis with no end-organ damage) before and after donation was 3.1 and 2.9% vs. 13.3 and 17.5%, respectively (p<0.05). Progressive decline in RF was observed in 29 cases (14%). None of the donors progressed to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). When compared with Group 2, Group 1 patients were older, more frequently hypertensive, and had lower GFR and higher serum uric acid levels.

Conclusion: Despite the loss of GFR due to nephrectomy, the progression to RF is rare in LKD. Baseline GFR, uric acid, and age are associated with RF progression. There is a need for a “national donor follow-up program” in Turkey.

Cite this article as: Aykas A, Tatar E. Long-Term Follow-up Results of Living Kidney Donors: 20 Years of Experience. Turk J Nephrol 2019; 28(2): 98-102.