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Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2021.60.02.02

The Cost of Kidney Transplantation at the Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia

Ivan Neretljak orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-7068-1241 ; Department of Urology, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Mario Sučić ; Department of Urology, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Branislav Kocman ; Department of Surgery, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Mladen Knotek ; Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Crosshouse, Kiemarnock, UK


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Abstract

The aim was to determine the cost of hospitalization for a transplant procedure
and identify the independent variables associated with the cost of transplantation. The investigation
was designed as a retrospective single-center cohort study conducted at a tertiary university hospital
transplant center in Zagreb, Croatia. The study included 219 consecutive kidney recipients transplanted
during the 2007-2013 period at the Merkur University Hospital. There were 141 male and 78
female patients having undergone kidney transplantation during the study period. The majority of
kidney transplants were from a deceased donor (n=179), while 40 were from a living donor. The mean
cost of a transplantation was 86,140±42,240 HRK (11,460±5,600 €), ranging from 29,000 HRK
(3,860 €) to 408,000 HRK (54,000 €). In the bivariate analysis, the variables associated with the cost
of transplantation were the length of hospital stay, delayed graft function, death of the patient, graft
loss, use of steroids, and death-censored graft loss. In the multivariate analysis, delayed graft function
was the only statistically significant variable for the cost of transplantation. Since only delayed graft
function had an impact on the cost of transplantation in this study, certain steps such as shortening of
the cold ischemia time (better organization of organ transport), better education of family members
for living donors, and higher percentage of patients on peritoneal dialysis should be taken to lower the
percentage of delayed graft function.

Keywords

Kidney transplantation; Delayed graft function; Hospital cost; Peritoneal dialysis; Cold ischemia time

Hrčak ID:

263321

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/263321

Publication date:

1.6.2021.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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