Left ventricle ejection fraction may predict mortality in renal transplant patients.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Mortality is a major problem in renal transplant patients, and appropriate preoperative evaluation is very important. We retrospectively reviewed the left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) of renal transplant patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The clinical records of 1763 patients who had preoperative LVEF results and who underwent renal transplantation at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine during the years 2004-2014 were studied. The LVEF limit was set at 55%. LVEF, age, gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, type of dialysis were assessed by linear multiple regression analysis on survival. RESULTS: There were a total of 1763 renal transplant patients. Those with LVEF of <55% were identified as having left ventricular dysfunction. The mean LVEF was 59.4 ± 9.1 in the 43 patients who died after renal transplantation, while it was 62.6 ± 7.4 in the survivors (p = 0.02). The mortality rate in the LVEF < 55% group was 6.8% (11/162 patients), while mortality in the LVEF ≥ 55% group was 2% (32/1601 patients, p < 0.001). LVEF was found to be the most powerful variable on survival by the linear multiple regression analysis, R2 = 0.05, p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: LVEF may predict mortality in renal transplant patients. LVEF is known to be lower in patients with high cardiac mortality, who may require greater modifications of the postoperative risks.