PERFORMANCE AND OUTCOME OF PIONEERING KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION IN A RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED SETTING IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

PERFORMANCE AND OUTCOME OF PIONEERING KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION IN A RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED SETTING IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

Kidney transplantation is the optimal treatment for improving survival and quality of life for patients with end-stage kidney disease. Kidney transplantation is developing in Nigeria. There was no kidney transplant surgery and acute care services in Southeast Nigeria until 2017 when our institution commenced such services. The objectives of this study to obtain the transplant conversion rate, short and long term complications and the graft and patient survival over a six year period.

A retrospective cohort review of the transplant register for patients referred to the kidney transplant unit from January 2017 to December 2022. The socio-demographic data, duration on dialysis, aetiology of kidney disease, laboratory investigations, number of patient transplanted, acute complications and outcome of the transplantation were obtained.

The transplant conversion rate was low. Assisted funding of kidney transplant activities by government and non-governmental agencies, and a periodic review of other barriers to transplant will improve access to kidney transplantation in Nigeria. Acute complications were treatable in most cases. The patient and graft outcomes appear similar to reults obtained from other centres in Nigeria but our five year survival differs from that of developed countries.