Problems in Renal Homotransplantation

Abstract

Since NOVEMBER, 1962, 12 renal homografting procedures, exclusive of a previously reported isograft¹ between identical twins, have been performed at the University of Colorado Medical Center. During this period numerous observations have been made which bear on various aspects of the complex care of these patients, including (a) technical refinements in the procurement, preservation, and implantation of the kidneys, (b) selection of donor sources, and (c) prevention, recognition, and reversal of the rejection process. An evaluation of the early results in these cases provides hope that renal homografts may be performed with a higher success rate than previously thought possible. Materials and Methods Case Material.— The cases have been divided into two categories (Table). The first group of ten patients received homografts from living donors. The second group consisted of two patients for whom the renal homografts were obtained from recently deceased cadavers. The patients were all males ranging