Managing End-Stage Renal Disease in Older Patients: A Single Centre Experience with Renal Transplantation in the Elderly

Abstract

The increase of patients developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has occurred predominantly in the older adult population. As a consequence, the nephrologists will need to decide whom of these older patients are siutable for transplantation. There are very few absolute contraindications, such as active infection and recent malignancy, but there are many relative or potential contraindications in older patients. Worldwide, organs available for transplantation are limited. Some centers are reluctant to use organs from expanded criteria donors also in elderly recipients. This leads to long waiting lists and many older patients will die while they are waiting for an organ. It is vital that the patients who are accepted for renal transplantation are those who will derive most benefit, and correct selection of patients and donor organs is therefore of outmost importance. This paper describes the previous and planned research our research group has performed with focus on older renal transplant recipients with special emphasis on survival, basic immunosuppression, selection of organs, and health related quality of life.