Between 1968 and 1985 108 renal retransplants were performed at Johannesburg Hospital; 102 patients received a second, 5 patients a third, and 1 patient a fourth kidney. The actuarial graft survival at 1 and 5 years is 52.8% and 40.5%. All retransplanted kidneys were obtained from cadaver donors. Factors that influence second graft survival are the period of survival of the previous graft, the use of cyclosporin A, the level of pre-sensitisation determined by preformed antibodies, the original disease (in particular diabetes and analgesic nephropathy) and the patient's sex. The results of retransplantation are not significantly different from those found in patients with first allografts; hence retransplantation is justified in those individuals whose previous donor kidney has ceased to function.