Kidney Transplantation With and Without Native Nephrectomy for Polycystic Kidney Disease: Results of the National Inpatient Sample and the Rationale for a 2-Staged Procedure

Abstract

Background: Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common causes of end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis or transplantation. In patients requiring transplantation, there are several indications for native nephrectomy, including recurrent cyst infection, bleeding, or to provide room for the graft. There is disagreement about whether it is advisable to perform kidney transplantation alone (KT), or to perform KT with simultaneous native nephrectomy (KTN). We compared postoperative outcomes of KTN and KT in a large national cohort.

Study design: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) between 2000 and 2014 was examined for a diagnosis of PKD with evidence for KT or KTN. Logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidity, and hospital region, was used to compare groups for the need for blood transfusion, need for critical care interventions, and development of postoperative complications.

Results: A total of 4,003 hospitalizations were identified, which was representative of 19,302 weighted discharges nationally. In adjusted logistic regression models, KTN demonstrated significantly higher risk for blood transfusion (odds ratio [OR] 2.06; 95% CI 1.44 to 2.96; p < 0.0001), postoperative complications (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.96; p = 0.02), and critical care interventions (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.95; p = 0.02). Other significant predictors for blood transfusion included female sex (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.45 to 2.13; p < 0.0001), age older than 61 years (OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.21 to 2.10; p = 0.001), and Charlson comorbidity score ≥2 (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.09; p = 0.01).

Conclusions: Among patients with PKD, in comparison with KTN, KT alone represents a decreased risk for negative postoperative outcomes. A 2-staged procedure should be considered, when feasible, to minimize adverse patient outcomes.