Long term morbidity and mortality after kidney transplantation.

A cohort of 69 patients received a kidney transplant in the period 1963-1977. The mean observation time was 9.5 years. Accumulated follow-up time was 661.4 patients year. The mean (SE) 10-year survival was 55(5.9)%. Univariate analysis showed that female patients had poorer survival than male. Patients with a cadaveric donor had lower survival than those with a living donor. Also survival with different HLA-A,B match differed significantly. A multivariate analysis pinpointed nature of donor, cadaveric vs. living, as the sole independent predictor of mortality. Patients receiving a cadaveric kidney were on double (2.2) relative risk of mortality as compared to patients with a living donor. The major causes of death were infections during rejection treatment, and cardiovascular disease. Patients had low rates of morbidity. Our results showed satisfactory outcome of kidney transplantation.