[Combined liver and kidney transplantation: indications and results at the University Medical Centre Groningen, 1994-2005].

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE. To describe the experience with combined liver and kidney transplantation at the University Medical Centre Groningen, The Netherlands. DESIGN. Retrospective.

METHOD: Data were analysed from all patients who underwent combined liver and kidney transplantation in the University Medical Centre Groningen, in the period November 1994-December 2005.

RESULTS

During the study period 582 orthotopic liver transplantations and 1026 isolated kidney transplantations were performed. 16 patients underwent combined liver and kidney transplantation: 4 were children (aged 17 months-16 years) and 12 were adults (aged 19-59 years). For all patients, both organs were obtained from the same post-mortem donor. Indications for combined liver and kidney transplantation were primary hyperoxaluria type I (n=6), polycystic liver and kidney disease (n=3) and unrelated liver and kidney failure (n=7). The 1- and 5-year survival rate was 88% (14/16), which was not significantly different from the results after isolated liver transplantation. Two patients died 11 days and 74 months after combined transplantation, due to complications from unsuccessful retransplantation of the liver for hepatic artery thrombosis and secondary biliary cirrhosis, respectively. A third patient died 51 days after combined transplantation due to sepsis.

CONCLUSION

Combined liver and kidney transplantation was a life-saving intervention in this selected group of patients with combined liver and kidney failure. Patient survival was comparable to that of patients undergoing isolated liver transplantation.