Introduction: Deceased donor kidney transplantation (DDKT) using grafts from extended criteria donors (ECD) presents a useful option for resolving the critical shortage of organs for transplantation. While ECD graft offers benefits such as shorter wait times and improved quality of life for recipients, the long-term outcome of ECD graft is not well understood. The aim of this study is to identify the long term-outcomes of the deceased donor kidney transplantation using extended criteria donor.
Methods: Between March 2011 and Feb. 2024, 99 patients underwent DDKT at department of surgery at Konyang University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea. We compared two groups using ECD graft: no ECD group (n=81), ECD group (n=18). The following characteristics were evaluated retrospectively through the medical records.
Results: The 5-year patient survival in the ECD group was 84.4% compared to 92.5% of the no ECD group (P = 0.537). The 5-year graft survival were 100.0% and 94.8% in the ECD group and no ECD group (P = 0.325) retrospectively. Also, hospital stay, operation time and complication rates were not significantly differentiated between the two groups. However, the eGFR level by period of recipients was significantly more increased in no ECD group (12 months: 75.9±21.8 ml/min vs. 54.2±17.5 ml/min, P<0.001, 60th months; 81.5±22.4 ml/min vs. 60.3±22.2 ml/min, P=0.033).
Conclusions: According to this study, the outcomes of DDKT using ECD graft suggest a long-term decline in renal function. However, it is considered a safe and useful method for resolving the shortage of organs for transplantation.