Long Term Survival after Combined Liver- and Kidney Transplantation

Combined liver and kidney transplantation is an established therapeutic option in patients with profound and irreversible liver and kidney failure. Patients with hepatitis B or C and chronic renal failure, with polycystic liver and kidney disease and patients with primary hyperoxaluria typ I (pHI) are the main groups of patients qualifying for this operation. We retrospectively evaluated long-term survival of 68 patients undergoing combined transplantation in our center from 1992 to 2008 and compared them regarding to their respective underlying liver disease. Patients had a median MELD score of 21 and were on dialysis for a median of 24 months. 74% of the patients were alive after a mean follow up period of 7.7 years. Eight patients died during hospital stay within six months. The 1-, 5- and 10-year survival is 88%, 80% and 63%, respectively and is comparable with the results of OLT alone. There were no differences regarding patient or organ survival within the three main diagnostic groups. Combined liver and kidney transplantation is a save therapeutic option for patients with end stage liver and kidney disease.