Kidney transplantation following uncontrolled donation after circulatory death

Purpose of review The identification and utilization of kidneys from uncontrolled donation after circulatory death (uDCD) donors for transplantation may increase transplantation rates markedly. This article summarizes the latest international results from successful uDCD kidney transplant programmes and considers how such programmes may impact on the transplant waiting list. Recent findings The results of more than 1000 uDCD donor kidney transplants have been reported since 2007 from France and Spain. Estimates from France, Spain and Sweden suggest that effective utilization of the potential uDCD donor pool might increase donation rates by 25%. The main concern relating to uDCD kidney transplantation is the high incidence of primary nonfunction with the incidence of primary nonfunction reported as 7-8% even with careful donor selection and the use of normothermic regional perfusion at the time of organ recovery. Notwithstanding, reported 1- year graft survival figures are equivalent to those from expanded criteria donors (ECD) and 10-year graft survival of between 72 and 82% was reported in the two single-centre series with longest reported follow-up period. Uncontrolled DCD kidney transplantation has been successfully implemented in several regions in France and Spain. Wider implementation of uDCD programmes would increase substantially the number of kidneys for transplantation, while maintaining acceptable transplant outcomes.