The impact of multiple donor renal arteries on perioperative complications and allograft survival in paediatric renal transplantation

BACKGROUND

The impact of using allografts with multiple renal arteries in paediatric kidney transplantation has not been clearly established. The aim of this study was to determine whether kidney grafts with multiple arteries pose any adverse effects upon perioperative surgical outcomes, and graft survival up to 12 months post-transplant.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of a minimum of 12-month graft survival and transplant renal function in paediatric renal transplant recipients receiving single versus multiple donor arteries, and to assess perioperative and early post-operative surgical outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective divisional chart review of 379 transplants performed (2000-2018), of which 90 (23.7%) contained multiple donor arteries. The number of arteries of the graft, donor type, vascular reconstruction technique, occurrence of urological and vascular complications, estimated GFR and graft survival up to 12 months post-transplantation, graft loss and mortality were analysed. Comparisons in baseline characteristics and outcome measures were made between both groups.

RESULTS

No significant differences were found in age (p = 0.42), BMI (p = 0.39), estimated intraoperative blood loss (p = 0.14), overall (p = 0.63) or warm ischaemic time (p = 0.37). 51.3% patients with multiple donor arteries underwent an ex vivo reconstruction. There were no differences in the site of arterial anastomosis (aorta, external iliac, internal iliac), or anastomotic type (end-side; end-end). Whilst there was a significantly higher post-operative lymphocoele rate in the multiple vessel cohort (p = 0.024), there was no increase in post-transplant urine leaks, rejection episodes, graft loss (1.1% multiple vs 2.1% single), perioperative complications (p = 0.68), or estimated GFR at 1 month (p = 0.9) or at 1 year (p = 0.67).

DISCUSSION

We demonstrated in this study that there was no significant difference in postoperative complications up to 3 months, eGFR and renal function up to 1 year, and graft survival up to 4 years post transplantation irrespective of allograft type or reconstruction technique. There was however, a higher rate of lymphocoeles in the multiple artery cohort. The results seen here broadly mirror trends seen in adult studies, however, there is little data available from paediatric series.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that multiple renal artery allografts - previously been considered to carry a high complication risk - can be safely used for paediatric renal transplantation with equivalent perioperative complications and graft outcomes to single artery allografts.