Safety and effectiveness of percutaneous embolization for late failed renal allograft in patients with graft intolerance syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical safety and effectiveness of percutaneous embolization in treating the late failed renal allograft in patients with graft intolerance syndrome (GIS).

METHODS

Transcatheter embolization of renal graft artery was performed in 18 patients with late graft dysfunction and GIS. The subsequent complications, postoperative symptom remission rate, and prognosis were assessed.

RESULTS

GIS was relieved in 15 patients (83.3%), of which 6 patients (33.3%) had severer fever and pain in the area of renal graft after embolization, which lasted for a mean of 3.5 days (range: 2-5 days). GIS persisted for more than 2 weeks in 3 patients (16.7%), who ultimately underwent surgical removal of grafts. No severe embolism-associated complications were noted.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous embolization can effectively avoid surgical graft removal in patients with late renal allograft failure, and therefore can be used as a safe and effective treatment for the late failed renal allograft combined with GIS.