Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease. In Iraq, renal transplantation started in 1973 and has continued until now with live donor transplantation, since deceased donor transplant program is not approved as yet. Long-term transplant data are still scarce. The aim of our study is to present data on transplantation and medical follow-up at one year and, survival analysis at one, three and five years. A total of 250 renal transplantations were performed at the Nephrology and Renal Transplantation Center, Baghdad between January 2009 and January 2014. It is a living donor, blood group compatible donor program. All patients received triple immunosuppression (calcineurine inhibitor, mycophenolate mofetil or mycophenolic acid, and steroid). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine the survival rate. There were 92 live related donors, 143 unrelated donors, and 15 spouse donors. The mean age was 34.07 ± 12.2 years. The one-year graft survival for related and unrelated donor transplants was 98.9% and 91.8%, respectively. Graft survival was lower (82.9%) in recipients with acute rejection episodes. The patient survival at one-year was 94%. The three-year graft and patient survival was 91% and 90%, respectively, and five-year survival for grafts and patients was 87.1% and 88%, respectively. The outcome of the renal transplantation in Iraq is improving. Long-term patient follow-up needs more meticulous attention. The development of renal transplant registry is critical for future planning. Moreover, renal transplantation practice in Iraq needs more social, religious, and governmental support.

To determine the safety and efficacy of the practice of renal allograft biopsy and verify its impact on the management of kidney transplant patients presenting with graft dysfunction, we studied 50 renal allograft biopsies of 47 adult patients (38% males, mean age 32.4 ± 11 years) performed in the medical city complex from November 2008 to April 2011. All the biopsies were performed with a guidance of ultrasound. The procedure, complications, histological diagnoses and impact of the biopsy data on patients' management were recorded. Thirty percent of the biopsies were performed in the first 12 months post-transplantation and 24% were performed after the 60 th month. Adequate biopsy was achieved in 76% of the patients, with a 96% safety rate. Acute rejection was diagnosed in 38% of the biopsies and chronic allograft nephropathy in 38%, and they were the most common histological patterns in the study. The results of allograft biopsies positively impacted the management strategy in all study groups. Renal allograft biopsy was a useful and a relatively safe tool for the diagnosis of acute and chronic graft dysfunction in our experience.