KIDNEY TRANSPLATATION IN SOUTHERN REGIONS OF CHILE: ACHIEVEMENTS AND DIFFICULTIES

Abstract

An analysis is presented of the renal transplant (Tx) programme in the Los Ríos Region, Chile, which began in the 1980s thanks to collaboration between the Universidad Austral and the Valdivia Health Service. Currently, this program is a reference center for several regions, in- cluding Los Lagos, Aysén and Magallanes. By 2023, 519 Tx have been performed, of which 490 had sufficient information. Of these, 33% were Tx from living donors and 66% from deceased donors, with a 10-year graft survival of 84.6% and 85.2%, respectively. The advantages of the program are highlighted, such as supraregional integration and the existence of a histocom- patibility laboratory. However, there are still several problems to be solved: low number of patients on the waiting list, slowness in pre-transplant studies, access difficulties in rural areas, administrative problems and long cold ischemia times. In conclusion, the possibility of having successful transplant programs in regions is emphasized, as well as the need to improve inter­regional connectivity and laboratory management, as well as the importance of maintaining an integration model in southern Chile and considering a similar strategy for the northern regions of the country.