Pregnancy in renal transplant patients: a review.

A questionnaire survey and review of the literature show that pregnancy can be well tolerated in most women with renal transplants. Fifty-two per cent of the renal transplant recipients who became pregnant had full-term infants with no serious complications. With therapeutic abortions, excluded, 71% of the 308 pregnancies permitted to continue resulted in full-term infants. Rejection episodes were occasionally a serious problem, occurring in 9% of the pregnancies. Mechanical interference with renal excretion or preventing vaginal delivery occurred in 5.6% of the cases. Hypertension and proteinuria, often existing prior to pregnancy, became frequently increased during pregnancy. Infections not associated with rejection were common but easily controlled in most cases. Prematurity was frequent but related to renal function and the time interval from transplant to conception. The most serious infant complications were related to prematurity. Unknown is the future of these infants and their progeny because of their intrauterine exposure to immunosuppressive drugs.

In situ cadaver kidney perfusion: experimental and clinical studies.

Lactated Ringers and Collins C2 solutions were compared in different volumes for rapid intra-aortic in situ cooling of pig cadaver kidneys. Both solutions in large volumes caused renal damage when compared with ex vivo flushed controls, although C2 was less injurious. When used for in situ cooling of human cadaver kidneys in volumes less than 1,500 ml/kidney, the two solutions were comparable and did not cause injury when compared with controls. In situ cooling permitted longer excision time (cold ischemia) and is recommended for lessening warm ischemia time in selected cases.

Renal allograft failure and cold red blood cell autoagglutinins.

Ten patients in a retrospective review of 250 kidney transplant recipients had RBC-cold agglutinins reactive at 22 C. Fourteen transplants were performed in those 10 patients. Five of nine cold renal allografts failed to function. Two of these recipients later had successful transplants when the kidneys were warmed before reestablishment of blood flow. Three other patients with cold RBC autoagglutinins had immediate renal function when the transplanted kidneys were warmed. In a prospective study of 126 patients, 59% had cold RBC agglutinins at 4 C and 11% were alos reactive at 22 C. Red blood cell-cold autoagglutinins appear to be a preventable cause of acute renal allograft failure. The titer and thermal amplitude of these antibodies are probably of major importance and should always be determined before organ transplantation.

Noncompliance in organ transplant recipients.

The frequency of noncompliance with postoperative medical therapy ranges from 2% to 43% in organ transplant recipients and causes more graft loss than uncontrolled rejection in compliant patients. Retrospective and prospective studies undertaken at our center showed no difference in the rate of noncompliance between males and females or between recipients of cadaveric kidneys and those from living, related donors. Patients less than 20 years of age were statistically the most noncompliant (p = 0.0001) compared with those over 40 years. A significant difference in compliance was seen among blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites, with the greatest frequency in blacks. This was not due to race, but to socioeconomic status, with those in the low socioeconomic group the most noncompliant. Problems of noncompliance may be reduced if they are identified early in the treatment course.

Management of antacid impactions in hemodialysis and renal transplant patients.

Ten cases of intestinal obstruction caused by antacid impactions in renal transplant and hemodialysis patients were added to 16 reports in the literature. In six instances, operative intervention was necessary because of failure of vigorous medical therapy. Three patients who died had perforation of the colon at sites of stercoral ulceration due to firm antacid impactions. Aggressive medical and surgical management of constipation and fecal impaction is recommended. The outlook is grim once colonic perforation has occurred.

Decreased function of a renal transplant after influenza virus infection.

A sixteen year old female recipient of a renal transplant had decreased renal function one month after an influenza virus infection. An acute rejection episode induced by the viral infection was the probable cause. Renal function in transplant recipients should be carefully monitored for at least one month after viral infection.

Treatment of pelvic lymphoceles after renal transplantation by intraperitoneal marsupialization.

Pelvic lymphoceles following renal transplantation occurred in five of 70 recipients and were treated by intraperitoneal marsupialization. There were no complications other than one recurrence, which was successfully managed by a second marsupialization procedure. Intraperitoneal marsupialization avoids the prolonged wound drainage of external drainage methods, and appears to be the treatment of choice for large pelvic lymphoceles.

Albumin improves islet isolation: specific versus nonspecific effects.

1. BSA-containing solutions improve islet yields using standard collagenase digestion techniques. 2. The BSA effect on islet isolation is independent of source and lot of collagenase. 3. The BSA effect on islet isolation is not due solely to its colloid action, as HES failed to achieve the same level of improvement seen with albumin. 4. BSA can protect islets from warm ischemic injury, and the protective action appears to be unique to albumin, as HES was not as effective.

Management of cholelithiasis in heart and kidney transplant patients: with review of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of cholelithiasis among heart and kidney transplant recipients. Since recommendations for cholecystectomy in transplant recipients varies widely, we discuss guidelines for surgery including laparoscopic techniques. We reviewed the records of 114 patients who underwent heart transplantation from 1984 to 1993 and 539 kidney transplant patients from 1972 to 1993. Recipients of heart and kidney transplants were found to have an incidence of cholelithiasis of 12% and 3% respectively. Pretransplantation ultrasound surveillance was used in heart transplant recipients and 64% of these with asymptomatic cholelithiasis have not required surgery with close follow-up from six months to six years. Thirty-six percent of the heart patients underwent cholecystectomy. All symptomatic renal transplant patients undergoing ultrasound with the findings of cholelithiasis underwent cholecystectomy. Open cholecystectomies were performed prior to the advent of laparoscopic surgery in six of the first seven attempts. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy on heart and kidney transplant recipients was well tolerated with admission the same day of surgery, a one to two day hospital stay and maintenance of oral immunosuppression. There was a single complication of leg thrombophlebitis, no mortality, and allograft rejection did not occur.

Liver transplantation for acute fulminant hepatic failure.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remains the only option for progressive acute fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). The overall one-year survival is approximately 58% versus 75% for all patients undergoing OLT. Nevertheless, this is superior to the results obtained with medical management alone, which carries a mortality of approximately 60-85%. Seven of 32 patients at Hartford Hospital (22%) received liver transplants for acute FHF; the one-year survival was 57%. Four of seven patients are alive with complete neurologic recovery. One case is presented in detail.

Organ transplantation at the Hartford Transplant Center.

Over 1,243 organ transplants have been performed at the Hartford Transplant Center over the past two decades. Survival in kidney, heart, liver, and pancreas patients is at or above the national average. Hartford was one of the first centers to use triple immunosuppression, which significantly improved survival in kidney transplantation. For recipients of kidneys from living related donors and cadaveric kidneys, two-year actuarial graft survival has been 98% and 83%, respectively, over the last five years. For heart and liver transplants, two-year survival has been 79% and 67%, respectively. Despite high success rates at most transplant centers, donor organs remain scarce. This problem needs to be addressed through increased cooperative efforts in the health-care community and the general public.