Analysis of waiting times on Irish renal transplant list Renal transplantation remains the optimal treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (1). Numbers waiting for allografts are increasing worldwide on a yearly basis (2, 3). The transplan- tation communities are struggling to meet this increasing demand using deceased donor kidneys. Some authors predict waiting times of up to 10 yr will soon be common in USA transplant programs (4). In Ireland, living donors have traditionally only made up a tiny proportion of total allograft donors although this is beginning to change with the introduction of a dedicated living donor program. There are known demographic and clinical factors that affect waiting time to trans- plantation (5). These include age, blood group and level of antibody sensitization. We aimed to examine the influence of these factors, in addition to sex and body mass index (BMI), on renal transplant waiting time. This would enable us to estimate likely waiting times for individual patients and counsel our patients on the merits of living donation, especially those who are likely to wait for extended periods on the deceased donor list. Methods Patients Our institution is the only kidney transplantation center in the Republic of Ireland. We studied patients who were waitlisted for renal transplanta- tion between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2005. Patients included were adults (‡19 yr), listed for a deceased donor, kidney only transplant. We included second and subsequent transplants. Organ allocation At our center, the following organ allocation strategy was in place during the study period, with decreasing order of priority: patients on a desen- sitization protocol/ABO compatible list (highest Phelan PJ, OÕKelly P, OÕNeill D, Little D, Hickey D, Keogan M, Walshe J, Magee C, Conlon PJ. Analysis of waiting times on Irish renal transplant list. Clin Transplant 2009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2009.01085.x. ª 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Introduction: A number of recipient variables have been identi- fied which influence waiting list times for a renal allograft. The aim of this study was to evaluate these factors in the Irish population. Methods: We examined patients accepted onto the transplant list from January 1, 2000 until December 31, 2005. Inclusion criteria were adults listed for kidney only, deceased donor transplants. We included patients previously transplanted. Patients were censored, but still included in the analysis, if they died while on the list, permanently withdrew from the list or if they were not transplanted at the time of the study. Results: There were a total of 984 patients accepted onto the waiting list during the study period, of which 745 of these were transplanted. Factors significantly associated with longer waiting times included age above 50 yr, blood group O and high peak panel reactive antibodies level. Gender and patient body mass index were not associated with longer waiting times. Conclusion: We have identified factors associated with a longer waiting time on the Irish cadaveric renal transplant list. This information can help our patients make informed decisions regarding likely waiting times and the merits of living related transplantation. P.J. Phelan a , P. OÕKelly a , D. OÕNeill b , D. Little c , D. Hickey c , M. Keogan b , J. Walshe a , C. Magee a , P.J. Conlon a a Department of Nephrology, Beaumont Hospital, b National Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Service for Solid Organ Transplantation (NHISSOT), Beaumont Hospital and c Department of Transplantation, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland Key words: ABO blood group – body mass index – kidney transplantation – panel reactive antibodies – waiting list Corresponding author: Paul Phelan, Beaumont Hospital–Nephrology, Beaumont Rd., Dublin 9, Ireland. Tel.: +353 1 8092732; Fax: +353 1 8092899; e-mail: paulphel@gmail.com Accepted for publication 30 July 2009 Clin Transplant 2009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2009.01085.x ª 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S. 1