Objective To describe our experience with hernioplasty in peritoneal dialysis patients and to identify possible risk factors for surgical complications. Design A 4-year retrospective chart review of data. Setting Peritoneal dialysis unit of a university hospital. Patients and Methods 58 hernias in 50 patients were included. Detailed surgical technique and complications were recorded. Possible risk factors included age, gender, weight, height, body mass index, previous surgery, diabetes, time on dialysis, emergency surgery, hospital stay, type of hernia, mesh use, blood hemoglobin, and serum urea, creatinine, and potassium. Results Complications occurred in 12 hernioplasties (4 wound infections, 2 peritonitis, 4 catheter dysfunction, and 5 re-operations). Recurrence rate was 12% without mesh use and 0% with mesh hernioplasty. Dialysis was re-instituted in 96% of cases within 3 days postoperatively. Identified risk factors for complications were diabetes, low weight, low height, small body mass index, and low serum creatinine. Conclusions Mesh hernioplasty in peritoneal dialysis patients is advisable. Postoperative dialysis with low volume is feasible after surgery. Prospective studies will corroborate our risk factors for morbidity.

We performed a prospective randomized trial comparing sirolimus/mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)/prednisone to cyclosporine/MMF/prednisone and selected induction therapy with basiliximab. Twenty patients received sirolimus (10 mg loading dose followed by 3 mg/m body surface area/day, keeping 24-hr trough levels at 10-15 ng/mL for six months and 5-10 ng/mL thereafter. Twenty-one patients began cyclosporine (4 to 8 mg/kg/day, keeping 12-hour trough levels at 150-300 ng/mL for 6 months and 100-200 ng/mL afterwards). Mean follow up was 15.8 months. One-year patient and graft survival was similar in both groups (>90%). Acute rejection rate was 16.6% in the sirolimus group and 5.2% in the cyclosporine group (P=NS). There were no differences in mean serum creatinine between groups. No patients who received basiliximab and had sirolimus target levels suffered acute rejection at one year. The sirolimus group had significantly higher cholesterol and triglycerides. A calcineurin inhibitor-free regimen using sirolimus produces comparable one-year transplant outcomes in living related kidney transplants compared to a calcineurin inhibitor regimen.

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An MMF-based immunosuppression has reduced the acute rejection rate in adults and in children in the early post-transplantation period. In the present study, pediatric renal transplantation patients on a CyA, MMF, and steroids regimen were prospectively evaluated. Patients with CyA, MMF, and steroid therapy without antibody induction were evaluated for surgical aspects, renal function, rejection, and survival, growth after transplantation, adverse events and medication discontinuation. Between February 2003 and May 2005, 21 kidney transplantation patients under 18 yr old were followed for at least 12 months. Within one year after transplantation, three patients developed four episodes of acute rejection (19%). Graft loss because of rejection occurred in one patient. One-year mean serum creatinine was 1.19 +/- 0.3 mg/dL. Mean calculated CrCl by Schwartz formula was 82.3 +/- 19.7 mL/min*1.73 m(2). Major adverse events included infections of the urinary tract and diarrhea, abdominal pain, and GI symptoms. No patients have discontinued the use of MMF. Good results in pediatric kidney transplantation can be achieved by using CyA/MMF/steroids. MMF is effective and relatively safe in reducing the incidence of acute rejection even without induction therapy 12 months after transplantation.