Live-Donor Nephrectomy

Surgical complications of open nephrectomy in living related donors in Yemen: a prospective study

Objective

Renal transplantation from living related donor is the best treatment option for chronic renal failure with experience for more than 50 years. However, this procedure may expose the health and even the life of otherwise normal individuals to risk. In this prospective study we described the surgical complications of open donor nephrectomies by Clavien grading system.

Material and methods

Between May 2002 and December 2014, one hundred and seventy-two potentially healthy kidney donors were admitted to Althawrah General Hospital, Ibn-Sina Hospital and Military Hospital. The median age was 34 years (19-60 years) with male predominance in 64.5% of the cases. This prospective descriptive study reviews intra-, and post-operative surgical complications using Clavien grading system for surgical complications.

Results

The procedure was done via supracostal lumbotomy incision (above 12^th rib) in 112 cases (65.1%) and transcostal incision with resection of 11th rib in 60 cases (34.9%). Left kidney was taken in most of the cases (68%) while right kidney in the remaining 42% with an average warm ischemia time of 31 seconds (range, 22-34 seconds). Surgical complications by Clavien grading system were observed in 18.6% of the cases (32 cases). Grade 1 in 28 (16.4%); Grade 2 in 2 (1.2%) and Grade 3 in 2 cases (1.2%) were detected. There was no grade 4 or 5 cases in our series. Median postoperative hospital stay was 3 days (range: 2-4 days).

Conclusion

We found that most of the complications of open living donor nephrectomy are of grade I and higher grade complications are negligible compared to the advantages for the recipients.

Anesthesia Management of Organ Donors

The shortage of suitable organs is the biggest obstacle for transplants. At present, most organs for transplant in the United States are from donation after neurologic determination of death (brain death). Potential organs for transplant need to maintain their viability during a series of insults, including the original disease, physiologic derangements during the dying process, ischemia, and reperfusion. Proper donor management before, during, and after procurement has potential to increase the number and quality of organs from donors. Anesthesiologists need to understand the physiologic derangements associated with brain death and the updated donor management during the periprocurement period.