Deceased donor transplantation in the elderly--are we creating false hope?

Abstract

The likelihood of being listed for transplant falls with increasing age at the time of starting RRT. Even for patients listed for transplant, the probability of older patients actually receiving a transplant is much lower than for younger patients, with only 8% of listed patients aged 65-74.9 years being transplanted within 5 years. This is partly the result of death on the waiting list but may also be related to organ allocation policies. Assessment for possible deceased donor transplantation involves a considerable investment in time and effort for the patient, as well as in health care resources, and a patient's decision whether to proceed with assessment should be informed by the kind of information we have produced. As there may be regional and national variations in practice, each centre should generate such data for use locally.