PULSATILE MACHINE PRESERVATION IMPROVES LONG-TERM FUNCTION IN THE RENAL ALLOGRAFT.:

79 Introduction. Pulsatile machine preservation (MP) of renal allografts for transplantation has been associated with improved immediate graft function when compared to cold stored (CS) grafts. We compared the MP and CS methods of organ preservation of renal allografts in order to determine which method provided superior long-term graft function. Methods. We reviewed 270 cadaver kidneys procured locally from heart-beating donors, all of which were preserved and transplanted at our center between 1/94 and 7/98. Kidneys were preserved using either MP or CS. We excluded recipients of imported kidneys, nonprimary transplants and living donor transplants. Delayed graft function (DGF) was defined as the need for dialysis within the first 7 days post-transplant Long-term graft function was calculated using Kaplan-Meier lifetable analysis with log-rank test for significance. Donor and recipient demographics were compared using unpaired student's t-test. Results.(Table)(Figure)TableFigureConclusions. Our data suggest MP is associated with improved long-term graft survival when compared to CS. In addition, MP is associated with improved early graft function as measured by incidence of DGF, and in hospital resources utilization as measured by initial length of stay.