Renal transplant is a commonly performed transplant procedure in the United States as with many other parts of the world. Improved surgical skills, incorporation of research evidence, availability of effective immune suppression agents as well as efficient methods of selecting the donor and matching with the recipient had made this procedure to be highly successful although there are significant number of rejections still in existence due to various reasons. Therefore, before embarking on seeking donors or else preparing a kidney patient for a possible transplant, there are several contraindications which need to be verified and excluded as it may nullify the effects following transplantation as it may become a threat to life than a life saving procedure.
What are the types of contraindications for renal transplant?
In broad, some of the contraindication would be related to performing the surgery and some would be pertaining to immune suppression which will be essential following a graft transplant. But, it should be remembered that, some of these contraindications will influence both these events in practice. Furthermore, although not ‘absolute contraindications’, some patients may possess contraindication which may or may not make them eligible to undergo transplant and these contraindications are therefore known as ‘relative contraindications’.
What are the specific contraindications for performing a kidney transplant?
Among the absolute contraindications, presence of a metastatic cancer which is untreatable, ongoing infections or infections which precipitate frequently, liver disease which had lead to hepatic insufficiency, AIDS, serious mental retardation, obvious non compliance, severe cardiac disease as well as vascular diseases that may aggravate following performing a surgery are considered contraindications for renal transplant. At the same time, because of serious interference with post operative rehabilitation of kidney transplant patients, persons with poor social support, practices substance abuse and has the potential to abruptly seize on undergoing immune suppressive treatment are also considered as contraindications for renal transplant.
What is the trend in relation to kidney transplant contraindications?
Although in early days, HIV was considered a contraindication for kidney transplant it is not so any more and there would be certain criteria in selecting patients whom would benefit more following kidney transplant even among those who suffer from HIV. Similarly, cancers which have been treated and have elapsed a designated time period following cancer treatment are also eligible to undergo kidney transplant and the demarcations are always being updated through scientific research which unravel the possibility of performing this surgery among those whom were previously considered as contraindicated.
In conclusion, the determination of whether a kidney transplant is contraindicated should be done on case by case basis and many factors needs to be considered before arriving at a definitive conclusion.
Reference:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/430128-overview
http://www.umm.edu/transplant/kidney/indkidny.htm
