Early Complications Common in Older Kidney Transplant Recipients

TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Early complications are common in older kidney transplant recipients, according to a study published in the October issue of Transplantation Direct.

Daniele Vetrano, M.D., from Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna in Italy, and colleagues identified pretransplant factors associated with a complicated early posttransplant course in older recipients. The analysis included 93 kidney transplant recipients aged 65 years and older. 

The researchers found that 61 recipients (65.6 percent) experienced a complicated in-hospital course. Longer dialysis vintage and donor hypertension were associated with higher odds of the composite outcome of length of stay >15 days, infectious complications, delayed graft function, primary nonfunction, or in-hospital death. Preemptive transplantation and living donation were associated with lower odds of the composite outcome. During a median follow-up of 29.8 months, patients with a complicated early course had higher rates of the composite clinical end point, hospitalization, and infection, although these differences were not statistically significant in Cox regression analyses. In those with a complicated course, the crude estimated glomerular filtration rate was lower; however, kidney function was similar when adjusting for the discharge estimated glomerular filtration rate.

“Although individuals with an initially complicated in-hospital course experienced more subsequent adverse events, postdischarge clinical outcomes and adjusted graft function remained comparable to those of recipients with an uncomplicated course, suggesting that timely recognition and effective management of early complications may mitigate their longer-term impact,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text