Update on Vascular Complications After Renal Transplantation
Thilina Gunawardena
Abstract
Renal transplant is the treatment of choice for endstage renal failure. Since the first successful kidney transplant in 1954, advances in immunosuppression, surgical techniques, and posttransplant medical care have drastically improved the outcomes of this procedure. Despite these advances, surgical complications after renal transplant remain a challenge that can result in serious morbidity, graft loss, and recipient mortality. A significant proportion of surgical complications will have a vascular origin. Some of these vascular complications can cause irreversible damage to the transplanted kidney unless they are identified and treated urgently. In this review, common vascular complications of renal transplant are discussed, with emphasis on their mode of presentation, diagnosis, current management, and outcomes. Such knowledge can be useful for transplant clinicians, for prompt diagnosis and appropriate management of these complications.