Results of kidney transplantation in recipients over 70 years of age:: Experience at a single center

We performed 41 kidney transplants in patients >70 years (35 single and 6 dual), with a mean recipient age of 72 +/- 2 years, from January 1990 to December 2001. Mean age of the donors was 69 +/- 12 years. Immunosuppression used triple therapy with steroids, mycophenolate mofetil, and cyclosporine or tacrolimus. Cold ischemia time was 23 +/- 3 hours. The incidence of primary nonfunction was 4.8%, and delayed graft function 58.5%. Acute rejection incidence was 12%. The actuarial patient survival rates at 12, 24, and 36 months were 82.5%, 82.5%, and 75%, respectively. Actuarial survival rates of the grafts censuring for death of the recipient with a functioning graft were 89.5%, 86%, and 68%, respectively. Nine of the 18 graft losses were due to recipient death. Overall, renal transplant recipients >70 years showed good results. The principal cause of graft loss was recipient death.