The fate of the patient returned to hemodialysis after losing a renal transplant
A. J. Matas, V. A. Tellis, F. J. Veith, P. Kuemmel, F. Mollenkopf, G. Karwa and R. J. Soberman
Previous reports have suggested that renal allograft recipients have an
increased mortality rate when returned to hemodialysis. We studied the
survival of patients returned to hemodialysis after losing a renal
allograft and compared it with the survival of patients undergoing
maintenance hemodialysis during the same period as reported by individual
centers in the United States and by the European Dialysis and Transplant
Association. Six-year actuarial survival of 83 patients after loss of a
first transplant and of 37 patients after loss of two or more transplants
compared favorably with data on survival of patients undergoing maintenance
dialysis. We conclude that a transplant recipient is not at increased risk
when returned to hemodialysis.
