Transplanting Beyond 75: A Decade of Outcomes in Very Elderly Patients

Background: Previous studies have shown that kidney transplantation (KT) in older adults over the age of 65 offers benefits such as improved quality of life and a modest increase in life expectancy. However, data on KT in the very elderly, specifically individuals aged 75 and older, remain limited. Despite increasing life expectancy and a growing number of patients in this age group, many transplant centers maintain an upper age cutoff for KT referrals, potentially limiting access to this life-changing therapy Methods: Retrospective study of all adult KT recipients between 2015 and 2025 at Mayo Clinic Arizona. Patients were divided into two groups based on age at the time of transplant: those aged 65–74 and those aged 75 and older. Outcomes assessed included patient survival, graft survival, length of hospital stay for transplant, BK viremia, and episodes of rejection. Results: Age distribution, baseline characteristics, and few selected outcomes are shown in figure 1. Survival curves for patient survival, graft survival, and BK viremia are shown in figure 2. Conclusion: In this single-center cohort, carefully selected KT recipients aged 75 and older had comparable 5–10-year outcomes—including patient survival, graft survival, hospital length of stay, and rejection rates—when compared to those aged 65–74. As the population ages, expanding access to KT in this group appears justifiable and should be considered within individualized, multidisciplinary decision-making process rather than relying on chronological age alone