Highly sensitized patients with delayed graft function: a management protocol.

The postoperative management of the highly sensitized renal transplant recipient with delayed graft function on cyclosporine is complicated. Allografts with delayed graft function are reported to have a 20 to 30% poorer 1-year survival than allografts without delayed graft function. Several factors may be implicated in this poorer 1-year survival. A decrease in or cessation of cyclosporine dosage frequently is used in an attempt to minimize nephrotoxicity. Such under-immunosuppression can result in irreversible rejection. Occasionally, a pessimistic view of the prognosis for the transplant may result in early abandonment of the allograft with discontinuation of immunosuppression and allograft nephrectomy. We report on 3 highly sensitized patients whose kidneys had delayed graft function and were deliberately maintained on high doses of cyclosporine throughout the period of delayed graft function. Each graft achieved function (2, 4 and 5 months) after transplantation. The serum creatinine levels 20, 28 and 38 months after transplantation were 2.7, 2.0 and 1.0 mg./dl., respectively. We suggest that the maintenance of high cyclosporine levels throughout the delayed graft function period is useful in highly sensitized recipients and was an important factor in their successful outcome. A management protocol for such patients is proposed.