Aim: To discuss preemptive kidney transplantation outcomes in children with end stage kidney disease.
Methods: We present the data of patients younger than 18 years who were transplanted without previous dialysis in our Clinic. We retrospectively analyzed data available in medical health records.
Results: Preemptive living donor kidney transplantation was performed in 6 patients younger than 18 years. Creatinine clearance before transplantation was 9 +/- 4.15 ml/min (range = 2.7-12.3 ml/min, median = 8.5 ml/min). Currently, serum creatinine in patients with functioning graft is 139.4 +/- 60.9 micromol/l (range = 72-237 micromol/l, median = 130 micromol/l). One, three and five year graft survival was 100%. Overall graft and patient survival in the follow-up period was 83.3% and 100%, respectively. After 10 years one patient started with dialysis due to chronic graft rejection.
Conclusion: From medical and socioeconomic point of view preemptive transplantation is optimal method for treatment of children with end-stage kidney disease. Membership in Eurotransplant should increase the number of preemptive transplantations in Croatia.