High Risk Cardiovascular Candidate for Renal Transplantation: A Journey to Success

Abstract

The most common cause of mortality after a kidney transplant is a cardiovascular event. This is why most patients with poor cardiovascular status are denied a transplant. A 70-year-old male, ESRD from hypertensive nephropathy, was declined renal transplantation in the United States for advanced age, severe coronary disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm. The patient sought a second chance at a possible transplantation here in the Philippines. After a comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation, he underwent coronary artery bypass graft for a three-vessel disease followed by endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) which he tolerated well. After four weeks, he underwent a living-related kidney transplantation with immediate allograft function. On postoperative day 5, after catheter removal, the patient was unable to void spontaneously. He was diagnosed with benign prostatic obstruction and underwent transurethral resection of the prostate. He tolerated this and voided freely since catheter removal. One year later, the patient has a functioning allograft and stable cardiac status. High risk patients with cardiovascular disease may be given a chance at kidney transplantation after a meticulous evaluation and optimization.