Reassessment of the value of post-vascularization biopsy performed at renal transplantation: the effects of arteriosclerosis.

Between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 1991, 471 cadaver renal transplants were performed. We reviewed 130 transplants, which were biopsied 30 minutes to 1 hour after the establishment of renal allograft blood flow. Analysis showed a significant difference in 2-year graft survival rate between the groups with and without arteriosclerosis (71.8% versus 65.9%, p < 0.05). Arteriosclerotic changes were noted more frequently in biopsies from older donors (37 versus 28 years, p < 0.005). There was also a difference in ischemic time between the groups with and without tubular degeneration (30.1 hours versus 26.7 hours, p < 0.02), which did not correlate with the need for dialysis in the perioperative period (48% versus 49%, p > 0.8).