Immediate and early renal function after living donor transplantation

Background. In order to assess the immediate renal function after living do nor transplantation, renal function was compared in eight renal allograft r ecipients and their living related kidney donors during the first 24 h afte r transplantation. Methods. Substantial and comparable intraoperative volume loading with Ring er's acetate and mannitol was performed together with the administration of frusemide. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flo w (ERPF) were estimated by the clearances of inulin and p-aminohippurane, r espectively. Tubular reabsorptive function and injury were estimated from t he clearance of lithium, the fractional excretion of sodium and the urinary excretion of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase. Results. One hour after completion of surgery, GFR (54+/-7 ml/min) and ERPF (294+/-35 ml/min) were only 30% lower in the grafts than in the remaining donor kidneys, increasing to similar levels within 3 h. Only minor tubular dysfunction and injury were revealed in the grafted kidneys, and these tend ed to normalize within 24 h. Conclusions. By the present transplantation procedure comprising short isch aemia time and substantial volume expansion combined with mannitol and frus emide administration, kidneys from living donors regain nearly normal funct ion within a few hours after transplantation.