Paediatric kidney transplantation: is it safe to perform during night-time or day-off?

Purpose: To investigate the impact of after-hours surgery on the outcomes of paediatric kidney transplantation (KT). Methods: Medical records of paediatric KTs performed at a single institution between 2013 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. The population was split into three groups according to the incision time and calendar: ordinary day (8.00 AM – 6.30 PM), day-off, and night-time (6.30 PM – 8.00 AM). The following endpoints were compared: ischemia times, length of surgery, complications, delayed graft function (DGF), primary graft non function (PGNF) and eGFR at three-month follow-up. Results: Ninety-six non-living donor KTs were performed, median age 11 (IQR 4.3-14) years and median body weight 26 (IQR 13-50) kg. Forty-one (43%) were performed during night-time and 28 (29%) during day-off. Ischemia times were similar (p=0.769, p=0.536). Day-off KTs presented an extended length of surgery (p=0.011). Thirty-two complications were reported in 31 KTs. No difference in the overall rate of complications, DGF, PNGF and three-month eGFR was found (p=0.669, p=0.383, p=0.949, p=0.093). Post-operative bleedings were more common in days-off (p=0.003). Conclusion: The number of paediatric KTs performed during after-hours was considerable. Even though similar outcomes were reported, more caution should be focused on the KTs performed in days-off to avoid severe complications.