Long-term Outcomes of Kidney Function in Living Kidney Donors – The Gothenburgh Experience

Background: It is important to increase knowledge about and devote more attention to long-term living kidney donors. Although we have used living donors for over 40 years, they have not, until recently, undergone regular check-ups. Material and methods: A total of 1100 living donor nephrectomies were performed at our hospital from 1965-2005. We located the donors, assessed their general health and focused on renal function with measurement of the glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin excretion. Results: Eight of the 1100 had developed ESRD with male dominance (p<0.05). Of 823 donors who were still living and eligible, 668 responded to a questionnaire and 573 provided a sample of pcreatinine for estimated GFR (eGFR). The mean time since donation was 15 (9) years and the mean age was 62 (12) years. Using MDRD for estimates of eGFR, 10% of donors belonged to CKD stage I, 66% to stage II, 23% to stage III, 0% to stage IV and 1% to stage V. The last group included one donor in dialysis and two who had received a transplant due to ESRD. Conclusions: Long-term renal function after living kidney donation is excellent with the majority having eGFR between 60-90 ml/min.