Introduction: Organ transplantation is a life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure. Recent studies suggest that older patients are becoming recipients of organ transplants at much higher rates than in the past. This study examines the impact of age differences on morbidity and mortality in kidney and liver transplant patients.
Methods: A total of 33 patients aged 65 and over and 31 patients aged 25-64 were randomly selected from 1273 kidney and 532 liver transplants performed at Başkent University Ankara Hospital between January 2000 and December 2023. In this descriptive study, graft survival and laboratory values were retrospectively compared between kidney and liver transplant patients aged 65 years and older and younger patients.
Results: The mean age was 73.67±5.57 years in the elderly group and 57.77±10.47 years in the younger group. Among the elderly undergoing kidney transplantation, 19% (n=4) were female, and 81% (n=17) were male; whereas in the young group, 33% (n=6) were female, and 67% (n=12) were male. Regarding liver transplantation, 27% (n=3) of the elderly group were female, and 73% (n=27) were male; whereas in the young group, 15% (n=2) were female, and 85% (n=11) were male.There was no significant difference in rejection rates (p=0.999, p=0.999). The graft survival was statistically significantly different among cases undergoing liver transplantation (p=0.048). In the elderly group, the mean graft survival time was 45.22±43.80 months for kidney transplant patients and 113.17±54.94 months for liver transplant patients. In the younger group, it was 54.78±47.67 months for kidney transplant patients and 54.73±44.76 months for liver transplant patients. Laboratory parameters were also compared, and in the elderly group, liver transplant recipients were found to have a significantly higher AST value at the 1st month (p=0.012). In kidney transplant recipients, urine protein/creatinine values were significantly higher in the young group at the third month (p=0.016), and creatinine values at 12 months were significantly higher in the young patients (p=0.043).
Conclusion: Organ transplantation is a life-saving procedure at any age. However, it is associated with higher rates of co-morbidity and complications in older patients. However, closer monitoring of these patients and their laboratory values through studies will be of benefit to surgeons working with older patients and to the literature in this area.