Kidney transplantation is a surgical procedure using a donor kidney to treat an individual with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Common causes of ESRD are diabetes and high blood pressure. Approximately 29 million people in America have diabetes, causing a high demand for kidney transplants. Over 100,000 people currently await a donor kidney, but only 17,000 transplants are performed annually. Due to high demand coupled with scarce supply, it is important to optimize outcomes of patients receiving transplants. This research aims to assess the effectiveness of two scoring systems to predict patient survival post transplant, based on comorbidities present prior to transplant. Specifically, we focused on the population of patients over 70 years old, who typically have significant comorbidities placing them at higher risk for poor outcomes. The methodology included the Charlson Comorbidity Scoring System and the Frailty Index, which were used to determine comorbidities of patients before surgery and the survival post surgery, respectively. Data was collected by scoring patients and analyzing their survival rates retrospectively. Our data indicated that patients with lower comorbidity scores before surgery had a longer survival time post transplant. In the future, this research could provide a better approach to risk stratify patients prior to transplantation.
