Update in renal transplantation.

Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for most patients with end-stage renal disease. The shortage of donor organs, however, remains a major obstacle to successful, early transplantation. This shortage has actually worsened despite an increase in living family-related and unrelated donors. On the other hand, over the last 10 years, allograft and recipient survival have significantly improved. This encouraging outcome reflects many factors, particularly a favorable shift in the balance between the efficacy and toxicity of immunosuppressive regimens. As acute rejection and early graft loss have become less common, the focus is increasingly directed toward the prevention and treatment of the long-term complications of renal transplantation. These include suboptimal allograft function, premature death, cardiovascular disease, and bone disease. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach--rather than management of immunological issues alone--is now required to optimize long-term outcomes of renal transplant recipients.