Kidney preservation using combinations of Belzer and Collins techniques.

A study was designed to test the advisability of using combined Belzer and Collins preservation in kidney-sharing programs. Dogs were randomly assigned to seven groups and no donor pretreatment was used. In group 1, left kidneys were removed from dogs; were flushed with Collins solution; and were autotransplanted immediately. In groups 2 through 7, dog kidneys were preserved for 24 hr using combined techniques. The percentage of Collins preservation included in each group was increased progressively until, in Group 7, Collins alone was used. Contralateral nephrectomies were performed at the time of autotransplantation. Between 4 and 8 dogs survived in each group, yielding 43 6-week survivors. Sixty-six per cent of group 7 animals and greater than 90% of animals in other groups survived 6 weeks after transplantation. Average creatinine and blood urea nitrogen values on days 3,7, and 42 showed a progressive increase in kidney damage from groups 1 through 7. As the percentage of time the kidneys were subjected to Collins preservation was increased, the quality of kidney preservation decreased in a progressive manner. This study suggests that Belzer and Collins techniques can be combined, but superior preservation was obtained when the majority of preservation was on the Belzer apparatus.