Simultaneous Liver‐Kidney Transplantation Following Standardized Medical Eligibility Criteria and Creation of the Safety Net: Less Appears to Be More

Abstract

Renal dysfunction is common among liver transplant candidates and can present in various phenotypes. Approximately 10% of liver transplant candidates undergo simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (SLKT) though the majority of SLKT recipients that underwent transplant prior to August 2017 have been found to develop recurrent renal dysfunction. According to a recent multicenter observational study, after a median follow-up of 5 years after transplant, at least two-thirds of SLKT recipients developed stage 3 chronic kidney disease and one-fifth had advanced chronic kidney disease. These outcomes demonstrate the challenges in appropriate selection of SLKT candidates as well as complexities in preserving renal function post-transplant.