9. Pediatric Renal Transplantation

Summary

Paediatric end-stage renal failure programmes have evolved over the last twenty-five years with the provision of dialysis and transplantation. There have been advances in the treatment of renal conditions in children to prevent progression of renal failure. However, many children with end-stage renal failure can have excellent quality of life despite multi-system diseases and dialysis can now be offered as a bridge to transplantation to anuric neonates who would otherwise not have survived. The current gold standard treatment for children in end-stage renal failure is pre-emptive living related renal transplantation and advances in patient management including modern immunosuppressive regimens have improved the long term patient and renal allograft survival. Children with ESRF can now have increased quantity and quality of life with the benefits of transplantation and increased possibilities of re-transplantation in the future.