Living kidney donors want lifelong follow-up, health management after donation
Key takeaways:
- Results showed 70% of living kidney donors were satisfied with follow-up care.
- Further, 66% or donors wanted lifelong annual assessments.
Living kidney donors want lifelong follow-up care and effective health management after donation, according to research data from two large transplant programs in Canada.
“The absolute risks of living kidney donation are very low, but donors have an approximately 30% permanent reduction in kidney function after donor nephrectomy,” Sunita K. Singh, of the Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, and the University of Toronto division of nephrology and department of medicine, wrote with colleagues. “Health maintenance and early diagnosis and treatment of conditions that may lead to loss of kidney function may help ensure the long-term health of donors.”
Researchers conducted an anonymous survey with 685 living donors from Vancouver General Hospital and Toronto General Hospital, which organize donor follow-up through primary care providers. Donors older than 19 years of age who donated between 1988 and 2021 were eligible. The survey was developed from clinical guidance, themes identified in semi-structured interviews with 12 living kidney donors and pilot-testing feedback.
Of the cohort, 573 donated in Vancouver and 112 in Toronto. Overall, 58% were female, 83% were white and all were between 5 years and 10 years post-donation. Most (75%) donated to a first-degree relative or partner. The final survey response rate was 43%.
In all, 73% of donors reported having primary care follow-up in the first year after donating, according to the findings, and 70% had annual visits with blood and urine tests.
Most donors (71%) got follow-up reminders from their transplant center, Singh and colleagues noted, correlating to higher follow-up: 86% vs. 68% for those without notices.
Results showed that 70% of donors were satisfied with follow-up care, and 66% wanted lifelong annual assessments, including clinical assessment and laboratory tests. Donors also expressed a desire for more information about lifestyle and long-term outcomes.
“A transplant center-led, primary care provider-administered model of long-term follow-up may best meet the care and information needs of most donors,” the researchers wrote.
Collapse
Read more about