Clinical outcomes of the first 300 cases of kidney transplantation: a single-center retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation (KT) is regarded as the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease. The annual number of KT cases in South Korea has increased rapidly as more centers are implementing a transplantation program. The objective of this study was to determine clinical outcomes of the first 300 consecutive cases of KT in a single center. METHODS: Clinical data of 300 cases of KT at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from January 2004 to March 2018 were obtained from a prospectively collected database and retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 47.7±12.9 years, and 59% of patients were male. There were 225 living donors and 75 deceased donors. A total of 42 cases were from ABO-incompatible donors. During a mean follow-up of 68.6±43.5 months, 38 patients (12.7%) experienced rejection. The most common cause was acute T-cell mediated rejection (9.0%). Eighteen patients experienced graft loss. One-year and 5-year death-censored graft survival rates were 99% and 96.6%, respectively. One-year and 5-year patient survival rates were 98.3% and 96.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that graft weight-to-recipient weight ratio and rejection were significant factors affecting graft survival. CONCLUSIONS: This single-center review demonstrates clinical outcomes comparable to other major centers. Such good outcomes were obtained by good patient selection, dedicated transplant physicians, and adequate use of immunosuppressive therapy.