Objectives: After renal transplant, identification of early graft dysfunction is crucial for graft survival. We aimed to assess the perfusion of the transplanted kidney using near-infrared spectroscopy and to see any correlations between regional saturation and serum creatinine and urine output.
Materials and methods: We included male and female patients, aged 18 to 65 years, with end-stage renal disease and undergoing living related donor renal transplant in our study. Near-infrared spectroscopy was used for continuous monitoring of regional saturation. Urine output and serum creatinine were recorded at baseline and then every 24 hours until postoperative day 5.
Results: Among 21 patients included in the study, mean age was 30.23 ± 4% at postoperative day 5. We found a significant negative correlation between regional saturation and serum creatinine at all time intervals (P < .05). A significant negative correlation between regional saturation and urine output was observed at baseline and at 24, 72, 96, and 120 hours (P < .05). Four patients developed postoperative complications. A significant change in regional saturation was detected at 40 hours, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 48 hours earlier by near-infrared saturation in 4 patients compared with other traditional indexes of renal function monitoring.
Conclusions: Monitoring with near-infrared spectroscopy is feasible and safe in postoperative renal transplant patients. Near-infrared spectroscopy may be projected as a surrogate tool for real-time monitoring of renal perfusion in renal transplant recipients.