ABSTRACT
Renal transplantation represents the treatment of choice for many patients with advanced renal failure. When compared with dialysis, a successful renal transplant not only offers improved quality of life (Keown, 2001), better social rehabilitation (Matas et al., 1996), and less economic cost, even in high-risk patients (Whiting et al., 1998, 2000), but also allows a longer life expectancy. By reviewing the mortality of 23 275 first cadaver renal transplant recipients and 46 164 wait-listed dialysis patients, Wolfe et al. (1999) calculated that the relative risk of death during the first 2 weeks after transplantation was 2.84 times as high as that for patients on dialysis who had equal lengths of follow-up since placement on the waiting list, but at 18 months the risk was much lower, the relative risk being 0.32. The long-term mortality rate was 48-82% lower among transplant recipients. Even transplantation of a marginal kidney is associated with a significant survival benefit when compared with maintenance dialysis (Ojo et al., 2001).
