Vascular complications in renal transplantation

: Between the years 1979 and 1992 we a total of 479 renal transplants (RT) were performed. In 62 patients (12.9%) there were some clinically significant vascular complications. These have consisted of: 10 cases of arterial thrombosis (2%); 10 cases of venous thrombosis (2%); 5 cases of arterial and venous thrombosis (1%); 31 cases of arterial stenosis (6.5%); and 6 cases of acute haemorrhage originated at the vascular anastomosis level (1.2%). In all those cases with arterial or venous thrombosis, or both, it was necessary to perform transplantation. The arterial stenosis cases were treated with antihypertensive agents in 13 patients; with endoluminal percutaneous angioplasty (EPA) in other 13 patients and with surgery in 5. Both arterial stenosis and complications from their treatment resulted in 5 transplantations. In all cases with early post-surgical haemorrhage originated at the vascular anastomosis level, a surgical review and suture of bleeding site was performed. A total of 31 grafts (6.5%) were lost as a result of vascular complications.