Medico-economic impact of enhanced rehabilitation after surgery: an exhaustive, nation-wide claims study

Managing the "Sword of Damocles" of Immunosuppression: Prevention, Early Diagnosis, and Treatment of Infectious Diseases in Kidney Transplantation

The careful tailoring of the most appropriate immunosuppressive strategy for recipients of a kidney transplant (KT) regularly faces a risk of complications that may harm the actual graft and affect patient survival [...].

The Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) Pathway Is a Safe Journey for Kidney Transplant Recipients during the "Extended Criteria Donor" Era

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are still underused in kidney transplantation (KT) due to recipients’ “frailty” and risk of postoperative complications. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of ERAS in KT during the “extended-criteria donor” era, and to identify the predictive factors of prolonged hospitalization. In 2010−2019, all patients receiving KT were included in ERAS program targeting a discharge home within 5 days of surgery. Recipient, transplant, and outcomes data were analyzed. Of 454 KT [male: 280, 63.9%; age: 57 (19−77) years], 212 (46.7%) recipients were discharged within the ERAS target (≤5 days), while 242 (53.3%) were discharged later. Patients within the ERAS target (≤5 days) had comparable recipient and transplant characteristics to those with longer hospital stays, and they had similar post-operative complications, readmission rates, and 5 year graft/patient survival. In the multivariate analysis, DGF (HR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.08−4.34, p < 0.030) and in-hospital dialysis (HR: 3.68, 95% CI: 1.73−7.85, p < 0.001) were the only predictive factors for late discharge. The ERAS approach is feasible and safe in all KT candidates, and its failure is primarily related to the postoperative graft function, rather than the recipient’s clinical status. ERAS pathways, integrated with strict collaboration with local nephrologists, allow early discharge after KT, with clinical benefits.