ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

learn more

Contact ASN

1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

The Latest on X

Kidney Week

Abstract: SA-PO079

Follow-Up Care of Living Kidney Donors

Session Information

Category: Transplantation

  • 1802 Transplantation: Clinical

Authors

  • Lam, Ngan, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Lentine, Krista L., Saint Louis University , St. Louis, Missouri, United States
  • Hemmelgarn, Brenda, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Klarenbach, Scott, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Quinn, Robert R., University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Lloyd, Anita, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Gourishankar, Sita, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Garg, Amit X., London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
Background

Previous guidelines recommend that living kidney donors receive lifelong annual follow-up care to assess renal health. Whether these best practice recommendations are currently being followed is unclear.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study using linked databases in Alberta, Canada to follow living kidney donors from 2002 to 2014. We determined the proportion of donors who had an annual outpatient physician visit and laboratory measurements for serum creatinine and albuminuria.

Results

There were 534 living kidney donors with a median follow-up of 7 years (maximum 13 years). The median age at the time of donation was 41 years and 62% were female. Overall, 25% of donors had all three markers of care (physician visit, serum creatinine, albuminuria measurement) in each year of follow-up. Adherence to physician visits was higher than serum creatinine or albuminuria measurements (67% vs. 31% vs. 28% of donors, respectively). Donors with guideline-concordant care were more likely to be older, reside closer to the transplant center, and receive their nephrectomy in more recent years.

Conclusion

These findings suggest significant evidence-practice gaps, in that the majority of donors saw a physician, but the minority had measurements of kidney function or albuminuria. Future interventions should target improving follow-up care for all donors.

Proportion of donors who have evidence of follow-up care during each post-donation year.