Cadaveric kidney retransplantation, is it justified?

Results of 44 second cadaveric kidney transplantations are reported and compared with the results of 149 primary cadaveric transplantations. No difference in patient survival is observed. Patients with a non-immunological first graft failure (NIF) had a better two year second graft survival (60%) when compared with patients with an immunological first graft failure (IF) (20%). This difference was not due to a higher degree of presensitisation in the IF group. The use of scarce cadaveric kidneys for retransplantation in patients whose first graft was rejected is considered questionable.