Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) experience a significant decrease in their living quality, due to the limitations imposed by the disease as well as the demands of the treatment that they receive. Some side effects contribute to the morbidity of these patients. Among them, erectile dysfunction (ED) is notable. This article reviews recent advances in etiological factor study and treatment of ED in CRF patients, which may guide the clinic practices in a considerable scale.
Erectile Dysfunction ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; complications ; Male

The combination of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and chronic renal failure (CRF) is uncommon. This report highlights a case of renal transplantation in a patient with ITP. A 35-year-old man with ITP was admitted with uremic symptoms. A renal transplant and splenectomy was simultaneously performed. A prophylactic pneumococcous vaccination was performed and intravenous immunoglobulin (1 g/kg) was administered before and after the operation. The patient's platelet count increased gradually after the splenectomy. During a two-year follow up period, the graft function was well maintained. Renal transplantation in a patient with ITP is recommended with a well-designed strategy to prevent potential complications.
Adult ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/complications ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*complications/etiology/*surgery ; *Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/*complications

Transplantation of the horseshoe kidney can be performed en bloc or split into 2 grafts according to the vascular anomaly and the existence of the urinary collecting system in isthmus. From 2011 to 2014, there were 3 horseshoe kidney transplantations in Korea and transplantations were performed at 2 different centers. The transplantations were carried out successfully for all recipients without complications. All recipients have shown good graft kidney function after transplantation. No severe complication was revealed during follow-up period. We described the surgical technique used in the en bloc method to overcome various vascular anomalies and difficulties in choosing cannulation site and postoperative complications. En bloc transplantation of a horseshoe kidney is a useful strategy for patients with end-stage renal disease, and can provide favorable outcomes compared to the transplantation of a normal kidney.
Catheterization ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fused Kidney* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney Transplantation ; Korea* ; Methods ; Postoperative Complications ; Transplants

Adolescent ; Bone Diseases ; etiology ; Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder ; complications ; pathology ; Facial Bones ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary ; complications ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; complications ; pathology ; Syndrome

BACKGROUND: The aim of this research was to find out the costs of diabetes, as research in a prospective cohort study looking into the development of diabetic complications followed by treatment intervention by a medical institution. The research compared the changes in medical costs by following-up on the treatment details of diagnosed diabetes for the last 10 years in a university hospital. METHODS: The research used data of outpatient, inpatient, pharmaceutical and total medical costs, from 1996 to 2005, of individual patients who were diagnosed with diabetic patients, to analyze the outpatient and inpatient total medical cost changes over the years. RESULTS: After antidiabetic drug, in the case of outpatient treatment, pharmaceutical costs increased on average by about 25,000 won a month for diabetic patients without complications and by 35,000 won for diabetic patients with microvascular complications. Outpatient medical costs were affected after drug treatment by as much of an increase as created by the pharmaceutical costs. The total medical costs, that is the sum of inpatient and outpatient costs, decreased by 30~40% compared to that before drug treatment. In the case of total medical cost, MI or ESRD cost 2~3 times more in pharmaceutical costs than before the development of complications. The total medical costs of diabetic patients with CVA, MI and ESRD complications increased in the first year after development of the complication, and this was followed by a decrease in the next year, showing a tendency to remain constant with no increase or decrease over subsequent years. This means that the total medical costs of patients with complications remain continuously large throughout the life of the diagnosed patient. CONCLUSION: For diabetic patients, pharmaceutical costs are the most important factor in determining outpatient medical costs.
Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Complications ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Outpatients ; Prospective Studies

Host factors such as systemic diseases, genetic polymorphism or drug usage play a major role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease by modifying the host response to periodontal infection or altering the susceptibility to infection by periodontal organisms. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical response of patients receiving hemodialysis to existing microbial dental plaque. Gingival Index (GI) and Plaque Index (PI) scores and probing depths (PD) were recorded for the entire dentition on 36 chronic renal failure patients receiving hemodialysis (H) and 36 systemically healthy individuals (C), matched with the patient group, based on age and extent of plaque accumulation. No statistically significant difference was observed in the clinical parameters between the two groups (PI: t=1.69 p= 0.096; GI: t=1.057 p=0.294; PD: t=0.01 p=0.99). In the present study, H patients revealed a similar response to existing bacterial plaque and their periodontal status was comparable to that of the control group. Although patients receiving hemodialysis have been suggested to present a certain degree of immunosuppression, based on the findings of the present study chronic renal failure does not seem to be an additional risk factor for more severe periodontal destruction.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Human ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*complications/*therapy ; Middle Aged ; Periodontal Diseases/*etiology ; *Renal Dialysis

Brain Abscess ; surgery ; Epilepsy ; etiology ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence

Aged ; Blue Toe Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; etiology ; Male

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcome of the kidney transplant recipients with different grades and stages of chronic hepatitis B virus after receiving renal transplantation for 3 years. METHODS: Thirty nine cases of kidney transplant recipients with hepatitis B virus and 20 cases of kidney transplant recipients (control group) between August 2000 and February 2002 were studied. Before the transplantation, the patients were divided into 4 groups: the mild hepatitis group (Group A, n = 8), the middle hepatitis group (Group B, n = 6), the severe hepatitis group (Group C, n =5) according to pathological diagnosis by percutaneous liver biopsy, and the control group (Group D). During the 3 year follow-up, the serum creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, g-Glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, prothrombin time, cyclosporine trough concentration, urinary protein excretion, the HBV markers, HBV-DNA, albumin (A), globulin (G), the hepatic fibrosis markers and Child-Pugh score were studied at intervals. All patients received ultrasound examination every year. Two patients received repeated liver biopsy at the end of the follow-up in the hepatitis groups. RESULTS: The outcome of Group A and Group D was fine. In Group B, GGT level was significantly elevated (P < 0.05) sixth months after the operation, the Child-Pugh score of 2 patients were B, the liver pathohistological changes in another 2 patients were in severe stage in the endpoint. In Group C, GGT values had higher base-line (P <0.01) during the follow-up. Albumin were lower and globulin were higher than normal at the beginning of the 24th month. At the end of the follow-up, the Child-Pugh scores of all patients were B or C (B = 3, C = 2), 4 patients had end-stage cirrhosis, one died of hepatic cancer and the survival rate was 40% in Group C. CONCLUSION The outcome of the 3 groups is different. The pathohistological diagnosis by liver biopsy is important for patient selection receiving renal transplantation.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; complications ; surgery ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; complications ; surgery ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies suggest that postoperative morbidity and possibly mortality may be reduced when regional anesthesia is used. Use of regional anesthesia in renal transplantation is still controversial but promising. We assessed the effect of regional anesthesia for 20 cases of renal transplantation. METHODS: 13 patients were operated on under subarachnoid block with continuous epidural anesthesia. Bupivacaine was used for subarachnoid block and lidocaine was used for continuous epidural anesthesia. 7 patients were operated on under only continuous epidural anesthesia. Lidocaine was used for only continuous epidural anesthesia. RESULTS: In 20 cases of renal transplantation regional anesthesia was sufficient for performance of the operation. Stable intraoperative hemodynamics and absence of serious postoperative pulmonary complications were observed in patients operated on under regional anesthesia. Their postoperative analgesia was successfully maintained epidurally. CONCLUSIONS: Our cases show that regional anesthesia has the advantage of stable hemodynamics, fewer postoperative complications and postoperative analgesia.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia, Conduction* ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Bupivacaine ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Lidocaine ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications