Background: Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease. Organ shortage is the main barrier to offer this treatment to all who need it. Using expanded criteria donor's (ECD) organs is one of the strategies for making more transplants available. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the results of kidney transplantation procured from expanded criteria donors.
Material/Methods: One hundred and seventy two patients received cadaveric renal transplants between January 1st, 2006 and August 31st, 2008. Data on donors and recipients was collected. Patient and graft survival, as well as immediate, delayed and slow graft function were analysed. Kidney recipients' function was assessed by serum creatinine concentration and creatinine clearance according to Cockroft-Gault formula at seven days, 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months post transplantation. The follow-up was completed on November 30[sup]th[/sup], 2008.
Results: Average 1-year graft survival was 86.9% for the whole group and mean creatinine concentration was 1.58 mg/dl. One case of primary nonfunction was observed (0.6%). More than 25% of transplanted kidneys were harvested from ECD. There were no significant differences in patient's survival between recipients of standard criteria donor (SCD) and ECD organs. Graft's survival was higher in the SCD group than in the ECD group (one-year survival - 94.4% vs. 62.5%, p=0.004). There were no differences in the incidence of primary non function and delayed graft function between the groups. Recipients of ECD kidneys were more likely to have slow graft function (69.2% vs. 37.8%, p=0.033).
Conclusions: There is no significant difference in patient's survival between
recipients of kidney harvested from expanded and standard criteria donors.
Expanded criteria donor's kidneys have lower graft survival rates. There is no
significant difference in the incidence of delayed graft function between recipients of kidney harvested from expanded and standard criteria donors.

Keywords: Kidney Transplantation