LATEBREAKER
Renal transplantation
Impact of donation on perceived and actual health outcomes in living kidney donors in the western region of Saudi Arabia Emily L. G. Heaphy* Emily Heaphy Najib Kadi Eman A. Albishi Haneen Y. Al Omar Halal F. Alenizi Shatha A. Rahym Rasha M. Alderbi
Renal transplantation from a live donor can be done preemptively and is associated with a better rate of survival for the organ recipient compared to deceased donation. Donors, however, face risks of surgical complications and possible long-term health and psychological harm. Few prospective studies have examined these factors with conflicting results. Our hospital performs around 200 living kidney donor transplants yearly. We are conducting an observational prospective cohort study of living kidney donors (LKDs) aged 18 and older who are asked prior to nephrectomy about donating a kidney. The impact on their psychological and physical health is measured using the 36-item short form survey and clinical lab results. As of January 2024, 57 LKDs have undergone nephrectomy with a mean ± standard deviation age of 33.3 ± 7.2 years and 66.7% being male. Fourteen percent were donating to an unrelated recipient. More than two-thirds of the LKDs strongly agreed that: I feel free to do what I want about donating an organ (71.9%) and It was my idea to donate an organ (70.2%) and 87.5% self-reported being in excellent health. Among 41 patients completing six months follow-up, 70.7% self-reported excellent health. Creatinine levels (103.7 ± 16.0 vs. 74.1 ± 16.0 umol/L; t Value = -13.76, df = 39, p < 0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (78.8 ± 6.7 vs. 75.1 ± 9.0 mmHg; t Value = -2.85, df = 40, p = 0.0068) were significantly higher compared to baseline. There were no significant associations between donor’s willingness to donate and their self-reported general health. There was no significant difference in patients’ self-reported overall health between baseline and six months (Fisher’s Exact Test p-value = 0.5071). There were no significant correlations between creatinine levels or DBP and donors’ willingness to donate a kidney. Reaching our target enrollment of 100 LKDs is required to further expound on this relationship in the western region of Saudi Arabia.