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“The transplant gave us
Highlights
both our lives back.”
566 19 3.4%

The number on the transplant waiting The median waiting time for a kidney From 2014 to 2015, there was a 3.4%
pool for kidney only transplants transplant for those transplanted in increase in the cumulative number
decreased from over 600 in 2014 to 2015 was 19 months. of recipients with a functioning
568 in 2015. kidney transplant.
89% 17.1% 13.7

Kidney transplant survival for living The proportion of ‘highly sensitised’ Kidney transplant survival for adult
donor transplants was 89% at 5 years for patients transplanted was relatively deceased donor kidneys for the period
adults and 92% for paediatric recipients static at 17.1%, with numbers of these 1991-2015 was 13.7 years, with outcomes
transplanted between 2007 and 2014. difficult to transplant patients on the continuing to improve by era. Patient
waiting list growing year on year. survival for this group is 22 years.
8 + =

Paired kidney exchange, a method A kidney transplant survival and Patient survival of kidney transplant
for transplanting ‘highly sensitised’ patient survival advantage is seen for recipients was similar to the rest
recipients, has continued to grow with 8 living donor transplant recipients at all of Europe.
such transplants occurring in 2015. timepoints post-transplant.
> 0
Josephine Mulryan Evers and
Kidney transplant survival is significantly The probabilities of transplant survival No combined kidney pancreas transplants
better in the Republic of Ireland when and patient survival have steadily were performed in 2015 following the her husband John Evers
compared with European outcomes improved among recipients of both living decision to transition the pancreas
collected by the European Collaborative and deceased donor kidney transplants transplant program to St. Vincent’s
Transplant Study (CTS). over the past 20 years. University Hospital. Kidney Donor and Kidney Transplant Recipient
fewer potential matching donors for patient group from a surgical and Josephine Mulryan Evers had been
them, and conferring an increased risk immunological perspective, married to husband John for many years
of rejection of the transplant. significantly exceeds the outcome when he developed kidney failure.
Addressing these problems needs a data from Europe. As clinicians, we
multifaceted approach. In particular, recognise that every single transplant Life with kidney disease was tough
support for further development of starts with an incredible gift of on both of them, so in January 2010
the living kidney donor programme is generosity. Whether it comes from the Josephine made the decision to give
essential. Improved access to the recently bereaved family of a deceased one of her kidneys to John.
paired kidney exchange programme in donor, who find the strength to see Josephine says that not only did
the UK and innovation in the beyond their grief and reach out to John get his life back following the
immunological and surgical another in their time of greatest loss, transplant, but she got her life back
management of patients with high or from the heroism of a living kidney too from being a kidney donor. With
levels of circulating antibodies are also donor, who sees beyond their own many shared interests and hobbies,
required. In this regard, we fear of surgery and gives literally of they now enjoy their lives together
acknowledge the efforts of our themselves, so that another can be to the full. In the last year John has
colleagues in the UK, our partnership restored to better health. We retired from a very busy job and has
with whom has allowed 8 paired acknowledge the extraordinary joined Josephine in helping her to
kidney exchange transplants to generosity that each and every donor run her business.
proceed in 2015. Lastly, progress in brings to the transplant service and
permitting altruistic living kidney are continually humbled by their
donors to proceed to donation would incredible acts of kindness.
be most welcome.
For a number of years, the NKTS
has participated in the Collaborative
European Transplant Study – this
study, based in the University of
Heidelberg, has enrolled and collated
data from over 400 transplant centres
across Europe. Contributing data to
this study has allowed us to
benchmark our patient and transplant
outcomes over the last 30 years. We
are pleased to note that our patient
and allograft survival data compare
very favorably with results from Dr. Conall O’Seaghdha
European centres across all time
Consultant Nephrologist
points, even out to 20 years post-
transplant. Furthermore, our patient
and graft survival data for re- Ms. Dilly Little
transplanted patients, a challenging Consultant Transplant Surgeon

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