The worldwide focus on work hour regulations and patient safety has led to the re-examination of the merits of night-time surgery, including kidney transplantation. The risks of operating during nontraditional work hours with potentially fatigued surgeons and staff must be weighed against the negative effects of prolonged cold ischemic time with resultant graft compromise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of performing renal transplantation procedures during evening versus day time hours. The main outcome measures assessed between the day and night cohorts included comparisons of the postoperative complication rates and survival outcomes for both the renal allograft and the patient. A retrospective review of 633 deceased donor renal transplants performed at a single institution was analyzed. Three statistically significant results were noted, namely, a decrease in vascular complications in the nighttime cohort, an increase in urologic complications on subgroup analysis in the 3 AM to 6 AM cohort, and the 12 AM to 3 AM subgroup had the greatest odds of any complication. There was no statistical difference in either patient or graft survival over a twelve month period following transplantation. We conclude that although the complication rate varied among cohorts this was clinically insignificant and there was no overall clinically relevant impact on patient or graft survival.

The elimination of warm ischemic time using the IBT does not appear to reduce the incidence or length of DGF in this cohort. The technique may be useful for cases with prolonged anastomosis time (AT), but further studies with larger cohorts are required to determine whether it decreases DGF.

Objectives: The optimal immunosuppression regimen for elderly kidney transplant recipients is poorly defined. We sought to evaluate the shortterm efficacy and safety of thymoglobulin in geriatric recipients of deceased-donor kidneys. Materials and Methods: A single-center, retrospective analysis was undertaken between elderly (≥ 65 years) (n=137) and nonelderly (n=276) kidney transplant recipients who received rabbit antithymocyte globulin induction and calcineurin inhibitor, mycophenolic acid, and prednisone maintenance. Results: The mean age was 70 versus 52 years. Fewer elderly patients had an earlier transplant or panel reactive antibodies > 20%, but had more machine perfused, older, and extended criteria donor kidneys. Elderly patients received lower rabbit antithymocyte globulin (5.4 vs 5.6 mg/kg; P = .04) and initial mycophenolic acid doses (1620 vs 1774 mg; P = .002), and experienced less delayed graft function (31.1% vs 50.0%; P < .001). Death-censored graft survival and graft function at 3 years and biopsy-proven acute rejection at 1 year were comparable; however, there was lower 3-year patient survival in elderly patients. Donor age was the only factor associated with reduced patient survival. Rates of malignancy, infection, or thrombocytopenia were similar; however, leukopenia occurred less frequently in elderly patients (11.7% vs 19.9%; P = .038). Conclusions: Elderly kidney transplant recipients receiving rabbit antithymocyte globulin did not experience different short-term graft survival, graft function or rates of infection, malignancy or hematologic adverse reactions than did nonelderly patients; they experienced fewer episodes of delayed graft function, but had lower 3-year patient survival.

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HIDA scans performed when the total bilirubin was <5 mg/dl had a high sensitivity and specificity for detecting biliary complications after OLT. However, when the total bilirubin exceeded 5 mg/dl, the specificity was still 100% but the numbers of nondiagnostic/inconclusive and FN exams were increased.