Early, Preemptive Kidney Transplant No Aid to Mortality

FRIDAY, June 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — There is no mortality benefit to receive an early, preemptive kidney transplant, according to a study published in the May issue of Transplantation Proceedings.

Abhishek Kumar, M.B.B.S., from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues used the United Network of Organ Sharing database to explore trends in preemptive kidney transplantation in first-time adult recipients (2000 to 2020).

The researchers found that preemptive kidney transplants remain at roughly 18 percent of total kidney transplants, of which 33 percent were from deceased donors and 67 percent were from living donors. Preemptive transplants were most likely among White patients with a higher level of education and with private insurance. There were no differences in mortality in the four estimated glomerular filtration rate groups (<10 mL/min/1.73 m²; 10 to <15 mL/min/1.73 m²; 15 to <20 mL/min/1.73 m²; and ≥20 mL/min/1.73 m²). Among preemptive kidney transplants from living donors, there were also no mortality differences among the four groups.

“Our study shows that waiting until you really need a transplant is when you should get one,” Kumar said in a statement. “We should always avoid dialysis if we can, but performing a transplant early is not the solution.”

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