Smart kidney stones pose little risk in transplantations

AORN Journal, August, 2005

A recent study found that small stones in kidneys used for living-donor transplantations were unlikely to grow after transplantation, according to a May 25, 2005, news release from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. In a retrospective chart and radiograph review of 710 donor kidneys, 44 were found to have stones. Of these, 86% had stones that were 1 mm to 2 mm in size, and 14% had stones that were 3 mm to 6 mm in size. Computed tomography scans performed on 14 patients an average of 10.5 months after transplantation showed no stones in six patients, stable stone size in four patients, and increases in stone growth averaging 2.9 mm in four patients. No loss of kidneys due to stone obstruction occurred in the patients studied, and the grafted kidney survival rate was 97%--the same rate as the national survival rate for living-donor kidney donation.

Demand for kidneys far outpaces the supply, which makes studying the transplantation of marginal organs and expanding the criteria for donation relevant. The findings of this study indicate that the presence of smart kidney stones should not necessarily preclude people from becoming donors.

Transplanting a kidney that has stones requires consent of the donor, recipient, and transplant surgeon after all parties have discussed the potential risks. Any recipient of a kidney that has stones should undergo close follow-up with tests dedicated to detecting kidney stones, according to the researchers. Patients also should be vigilant in reporting stone-obstruction symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting; bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine; or a persistent urge to urinate.

Transplanting Kidneys Which Have Stones Poses Little Risk to Organ's Viabitity (news release, Rochester, Minn: Mayo Clinic, May 25, 2005) http://www.mayoclinic .org/news2005-rst/2832.html (accessed 26 May 2005).